100 Themes
by Snowsheba
Summary: 100 oneshots, drabbles, etc. involving most all Pokemon characters. Suggestions, requests and/or prompts are welcome. Universes, characters, genres, and ratings prone to change. 22: Leaf pile. This was why he should actually get to these meetings on time. He still couldn't believe his fellow Dexholders needed an adult watching them in order not to get in trouble.
1. Chatroom

**Prompt: Chatroom**

**Universe: manga B/W**

**Characters: White, Black, Bianca, Cheren, N**

**Genres: Horror**

**Rating: K+. Suggestive horror stuff.**

**Word count: 882**

**Having never been in a chatroom myself, this is probably full of mistakes. My apologies.  
**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

**xtremedreamer** has logged into the chatroom

**xtremedreamer**: YEEES im the first one!

/**xtremedreamer** has done a happy dance!/

/**BW_agency_prez** has logged into the chatroom/

**BW_agency_prez**: What the heck

**xtremedreamer**: what

**BW_agency_prez**: nothing

/**VictoryRoad4Ever** has logged into the chatroom/

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: What's going on here?

/**southern_belle** has logged into the chatroom/

**southern_belle**: awwww im the last 1

**xtremedreamer**: i was 1st

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: We are aware

**BW_agency_prez**: so what are we talking about today

**southern_belle**: wait

**southern_belle**: be4 we start

**BW_agency_prez**: what

**southern_belle**: ever gonna come down vict road cheren?

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: I'm training! I'm not coming down until I can beat Black.

**xtremedreamer**: ya cause he loses every time ;)

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: Shut up.

**xtremedreamer**: can't make me til u come down. come and get me :D

**BW_agency_prez**: break it up boys, you can argue later

**southern_belle**: how bout we talk bout a pokemon today?

**xtremedreamer**: ya like my tep!

**BW_agency_prez**: that's boring, you talk about Tep all the time

**xtremedreamer**: prez thats mean

**xtremedreamer**: teps standing right next to me

**BW_agency_prez**: sorry Tep. Your trainer's an idiot.

**xtremedreamer**: hey! hes laughing!

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: How about we talk about… Kyurem?

**southern_belle**: whats that?

**BW_agency_prez**: I've heard of it

**BW_agency_prez**: big ice dragon thing right?

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: Right.

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: Not much legend or lore about it, though.

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: I had to dig around Lenora's library for hours to find one book about it.

**southern_belle**: so what is it

**xtremedreamer**: related to zekrom and reshiram, right?

**xtremedreamer**: was in a book i read when i was younger

**xtremedreamer**: eats people

**BW_agency_prez**: yuck seriously?

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: Yes

**southern_belle**: scary

**southern_belle**: does it even exist?

**BW_agency_prez**: one of my employees mentioned something like that

**BW_agency_prez**: that cursed place near Lacunosa

**BW_agency_prez**: think it was called Giant Chasm?

**BW_agency_prez**: anyway heard it was a maze in one way or another

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: You should go, Black

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: Maybe you'll see Kyurem

**xtremedreamer**: what if it eats me?

**southern_belle**: it wont

**southern_belle**: ur not fat enough

**xtremedreamer**: thats supposed to make me feel better?

**BW_agency_prez**: it's true though

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: You're definitely too scrawny

**xtremedreamer**: thx for the support guys

**BW_agency_prez**: anytime bro

**xtremedreamer**: k ill go

**xtremedreamer**: same time 3 days from now?

**BW_agency_prez**: sounds good

**southern_belle**: ya

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: If you don't log on we're going to look for you, Black.

**xtremedreamer**: ya i know

**xtremedreamer**: talk to u all later

**BW_agency_prez**: see ya

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: Bye

**southern_belle**: b careful black

/**xtremedreamer** has logged out of the chatroom/

**BW_agency_prez**: you think he'll be all right?

**southern_belle**: ya

**southern_belle**: he always does things like that

**southern_belle**: not much u can do anyway

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: We'll just have to wait and see.

**BW_agency_prez**: well, if you're sure…

/**BW_agency_prez** had logged out of the chatroom/

/**southern_belle** has logged out of the chatroom/

/**VictoryRoad4Ever** had logged out of the chatroom/

* * *

/**BW_agency_prez **has logged into the chatroom/

**BW_agency_prez**: hey I'm first

/**southern_belle **has logged into the chatroom/

**southern_belle**: finally im not last. hey white

/**VictoryRoad4Ever** has logged into the chatroom/

**BW_agency_prez**: hey Bianca

**BW_agency_prez**: hey Cheren

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: no sign of him?

**southern_belle**: we just got on

**southern_belle**: give him some time

**BW_agency_prez**: he still has to pay for my cameras

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: Really? We're waiting to hear from our friend, who sought out a man-eating monster, and you're worried about cameras?

**southern_belle**: cheren shut up

**southern_belle**: whites just as worried as u

**southern_belle**: we're all worried

**BW_agency_prez**: sorry Cheren

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: No, that was my fault. Sorry.

/**xtremedreamer** has logged into the chatroom/

**southern_belle**: BLACK!

**BW_agency_prez**: you're here!

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: Are you okay?

**xtremedreamer**: no

**southern_belle**: no?

**southern_belle**: what happened?

**xtremedreamer**: i checked out giant chasm

**xtremedreamer**: it really was a maze in there

**BW_agency_prez**: told you so

**xtremedreamer**: ya

**xtremedreamer**: but thats not the point

**xtremedreamer**: it was really creepy

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: How so?

**xtremedreamer**: like

**xtremedreamer**: when i went through the cave

**xtremedreamer**: there was this grassy place

**xtremedreamer**: saw pokemon there ive never seen before

**BW_agency_prez**: Black

**BW_agency_prez**: you're typing really fast

**BW_agency_prez**: what's wrong?

**xtremedreamer**: but when i got to a dry pond in the middle

**xtremedreamer**: all of a sudden, a snowstorm came

**xtremedreamer**: and i walked to a another cave

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: Black?

**xtremedreamer**: and there it was

**xtremedreamer**: kyurem

**BW_agency_prez**: you're serious?

**xtremedreamer**: im never gonna go there again

**xtremedreamer**: guys im scared

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: If he's scared then something must be really wrong here.

**southern_belle**: black where r u?

**southern_belle**: we'll come 2 u

**xtremedreamer**: lacunosa

**xtremedreamer**: please hurry

**BW_agency_prez**: we're on our way

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: keep us posted here okay?

**xtremedreamer**: ya

**xtremedreamer**: okay

**BW_agency_prez**: I'm on Brav right now

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: I'm on my Unfezant, I'll be there shortly.

**southern_belle**: i left Undella a min ago, b there soon

**xtremedreamer**: hurry

**xtremedreamer**: please

**xtremedreamer**: it's coming flkajsdflhasyre

**ERROR CODE: USER 273619 HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED**

**BW_agency_prez**: black!

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: it's coming?

**southern_belle**: im here but i cant see him anywhere!

**BW_agency_prez**: wait for us

**BW_agency_prez**: we'll check out giant chasm together

**BW_agency_prez**: safety in numbers

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: yes

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: no use staying on. log out

**BW_agency_prez** yeah OH MY ARCEUS

**BW_agency_prez**: HELP

**BW_agency_prez**: WHAT IS THawue

**ERROR CODE: USER 273617 HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED**

**VictoryRoad4Ever**: White?

**southern_belle**: whats happening?

**VictoryRoad4Ever** I don't know!

**ERROR CODE: USER 273616 HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED**

**ERROR CODE: USER 273618 HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED**

* * *

/**King_of_Plasma** has logged into the chatroom/

**King_of_Plasma**: All is going according to plan…

/**King_of_Plasma **has disconnected/


	2. You did not just say that

**Prompt: You did _not_ just say that**

**Universe: manga Pearl/Diamond/Platinum**

**Characters: Pearl, Diamond, Platinum**

**Genre(s): Humor**

**Rating: K**

**Word count: 232. Short and sweet.**

**Reviewer: I did attempt to PM you to thank you, but you don't accept PMs :) So thanks for reviewing!  
**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

"You did _not _just say that."

But the girl's neutral expression didn't change. "What are you saying? Of course I just said that."

Pearl was openly gawking when she _whished _around to face him, unperturbed. "What is the matter with you?" she asked, metallic eyes flashing with a mix of concern and annoyance.

"It's just – we were _sure_ you'd be the one person who wouldn't bring it up, missy," Dia admitted, raising his hands in a _don't look at me _sort of way.

"So? Is there a grave problem associated with it?"

"Missy," Pearl said in a serious tone, "We always had a rough time when we were little. Why do you think Dia and I are best friends?"

"Your personalities compliment each other quite well," she offered.

"Well, yes, that too. But really, missy. We have a hard enough time as is! Please don't remind us."

The girl rolled her eyes. "But all I said was – "

"_Shhhht_! Enough!" Pearl interrupted, spinning around and purposefully marching forward down the road.

"Let's go, missy," Dia said after a lengthy pause. "When Pearl's like this, it's best to wait for it to simmer down."

With that Dia set off after his best friend, temporarily leaving the girl behind.

After a moment, she nudged her Ponyta into a walk, muttering angrily, "All I said was that Pearl and Diamond were _girls'_ names…"


	3. Cake

**Prompt: Cake**

**Universe: manga, first arc**

**Characters: Green (male), Blue (female)**

**Genre(s): Humor, Romance**

**Rating: T. There's some swearing.**

**Word count: 517**

**There are lots of fanfics like this one. So naturally, I had to write one myself.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

"Why is there a cake in my Gym?"

One of Green's Gym trainers cowered under his emerald glare. "A girl came, and then she just put it down." He gulped nervously as Green's eyes narrowed. "Th-then she said 'I'll be back~!' And then she l-left."

Green slapped a hand to his forehead, slowly bring his fingers down over his eyes. "Damn that Blue…" he muttered, before taking his hand and placing it in one pocket. "Keep an eye out for her. She's a thief."

"Y-yes, Green," the boy said, fleeing quickly to his side of the Gym.

Green scowled, staring at the cake. It was a simple one – one layer coated in green frosting, with decorative edges in white frosting, and _Happy Birthday_ written in red gel on the relatively smooth top. It was pretty generic, which meant it had a hidden trick up its sleeve. Blue loved tricks, and Green wasn't prone to fall for them.

Naturally, it was sitting smack-dab where he usually lounged about, waiting for the mostly non-existent trainers. Which meant it probably had something huge.

To the ordinary person, it would've looked like the teen was examining a perfectly ordinary cake with excruciating detail. But to the Leader's friends, it would be obvious what he was doing.

He called out, "Blue, I know you're here. Come out where I can see you."

There was silence for a moment; then a high-pitched giggle was heard, and Blue randomly landed on the ground. He looked up and saw she had been sitting on one of his overhead lights. "Why haven't you cut it up yet?" Blue asked his sweetly, a malicious smile on her face.

"I'm sure _you_ know. Plus, I don't have a knife."

Blue pouted. "I'm not that devious! It's for your birthday, after all!"

Green laughed dryly. "Blue, my birthday is tomorrow."

Her face froze. Slowly, it contorted into a terrified, gaping face. "Y-y-you're kidding," she sputtered, sporadically reaching out and gripping his arms with white-knuckled hands. "It's _tomorrow?_"

"It is," Green confirmed. "Which is why I'm going to step away from this cake before it – does anything."

Blue had deflated in front of him. "I can't believe I messed up the date… that stupid Red! I bet he did it on purpose!"

Green sighed inwardly in relief; it had been a good thing to remind Red his birthday was one day earlier than it actually was. "So, what's this cake got?"

"A bomb," Blue said miserably. "It's going to explode in a few seconds."

Green stared at her. Then he dove off to the side, dragging Blue with him, as the cake spontaneously combusted. Green frosting splattered everywhere, and a sickeningly sweet smell filled the air.

After a moment Green sat up and wheezed, "I – can't – believe you, Blue. An exploding cake? _Really?_ What happened to _originality?_"

Blue wiped her face, which had been coated with some white stuff. "It's not my fault I've done it for the past three years! Besides, you should be glad it was a small," she pointed out.

Green sighed, staring at the huge mess that now occupied his Gym. "Yeah. I suppose I should be."


	4. DJ

**Prompt: DJ**

**Universe: gameverse, HG/SS**

**Characters: Ethan, Lyra, Silver (Rival)**

**Genre(s): Friendship**

**Rating: K+. Party is mentioned, but not delved into.**

**Words: 2739**

**Luckyshipping/Burningleafshipping fic on the way.  
**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

It was getting pretty wild in there, Lyra knew, looking up at the stars sparkling in the beautiful night sky.

She was walking past the old abandoned building, which, as far as she knew, used to be some sort of parking garage. But now, it was the hotspot for simply crazy parties. She'd never been to fond of them, but her childhood friend Ethan was. He always told her with an aloof voice, crossing his arms and tapping his foot just so, "I'm practicing my skills in there."

What kind of skills, Lyra wasn't sure she wanted to know.

She paused in her walk and cast a look over at it once more. She could hear the music pumping and the screams and shouts of the partygoers. She shivered. She had never liked parties. Too many people, the music was much too loud, and she really didn't like dancing. And half of the time, she was afraid Ethan would see her, and then tell her snottily, "See, I told you parties were fun!" Knowing Ethan, he wouldn't forget it for years. The boy had a memory as good as an elephant's.

She shook her head and was about to continue walking to her hotel room when she spotted a familiar redhead pick his way toward the building. Despite herself, she had to frown. Since when did Silver like parties? He was so antisocial that it had taken Lyra a very long time to get into his good graces. But here he was, going to a _party_ where, no doubt, Ethan was…

Curious, she fell into step behind him, silent as the night. He didn't hear her and continued on his way. But he didn't go through the main entrance, which was a big hole in the crumbling wall. Instead, he made his way toward the back, entering an old, rusty door that had a faded sign reading _Employees Only_.

Lyra stopped outside the door, twiddling her thumbs. On one hand, she was dying with curiosity; what could have compelled Silver to come here, of all places? But on the other, this was a _party_. It was foreign territory. She wasn't sure if she'd feel – no, _be_ safe.

In the end, she reached out, grasped the handle, and pulled the door open slowly. Music blasted into her ears, and she slipped inside, graceful as a cat. In front of her were a set of wooden stairs, which she climbed silently – not that anyone could possibly hear her, but she preferred to be careful. She found herself on a stage, hidden from view, it seemed. A little further out, she could see a DJ table. She carefully stepped closer, wondering who was manning the table and, more importantly, to see if she could spot where Silver went.

She stopped halfway, seeing the familiar cap askew on raven hair. Was that… _Ethan_ was the DJ? She watched silently as he rapidly wiped a hand over his sweat-slicked forehead, grinning for all he was worth as he clicked rapidly on a laptop open next to him. He had vinyl records constantly spinning in front of him, with… blue needles? Not ordinary needles, that was for sure. He was constantly reaching out and pushing something around, turning a knob, and who knows what else.

_So this is what he meant by 'practicing his skills',_ Lyra thought, more than a little shocked. Ethan was a full-fledged DJ. Who would have thought?

And then she spotted Silver. He was poised a few meters ahead of her, leaning against the wall, watching Ethan's every move. She moved slowly behind a crumbled bit of cement, fearing he would see her and tell Ethan. The music dampened considerably, and she couldn't help but sigh in relief; at least her ears would be safe.

Still, what was Silver doing here? Watching Ethan, no less, a boy who he had previously loathed and detested – and he still did, as far as Lyra knew. Perhaps she was wrong. Perhaps…

She burst into a spontaneous giggle, muffling it behind her hand. Silver talking civilly to Ethan was something she had yet to witness. Knowing the redhead, Ethan had probably made some sort of deal with him – Silver would only do something if something were in it for him. Lyra knew that well enough.

She continued listening to Ethan, as he seamlessly molded each song into the next. He really was good. Lyra wondered how he'd learned. It wasn't easy to be taught; someone had to be willing to teach you, and they had to have the necessary equipment for you to practice on. Ethan had told her that once, a long time ago. She wondered why she hadn't connected the dots earlier. Ah, well – she'd always been a bit slow. Her mom said it was part of her charm. Lyra doubted that, but it still made her feel a little better.

She grew bored after a while, wondering if she could possibly escape and go home. She probably couldn't, at least, not without being noticed. Silver, being the observant person he was, would probably notice if she got up and left. Then again, he hadn't notice her enter. So she had a chance. Probably.

Well, either way, she was tired of listening to trashy pop songs, the ones that had a strong bass and were good to dance to. She wanted to sleep, and to let her ears relax. They'd be ringing for hours after this.

She slowly got to her feet and walked elegantly to the door, placing each foot silently on the wood. That was when she noticed the wood was new. Had these people built a stage just for parties? They must be much more serious about party-going than she ever thought possible.

With an inward shrug, she made her way down the stairs, paying heed not to trip. Her hand was on the door when someone called, "I know you're there."

She winced. Silver had seen her. Hoping he wouldn't hold it against her later, she slipped back out the door without a sound. Then she picked her way through the occasional rubble back to the road she'd been walking on. It led to Goldenrod's main road, which was where her hotel was. At least, she thought it did. She often got lost – another part of her charm, her mother claimed. Lyra shook her head at that and continued. Being an airhead wasn't exactly a great thing to be, in her opinion.

She didn't notice the eyes burning holes into her back as she turned the corner and disappeared from view. They flashed silver as the boy turned around and went back to the door. He rested his hand on the handle for a moment; then he turned it and reentered the noisy building, sighing softly.

The following night, Lyra looked up at the moon. It was a crescent, like a cat's claw, shining as brightly as the sun. It was kind of like the sun, Lyra reflected, seeing as the moon reflected the sun's light. Not that that was really important.

She was sitting on a bench in Goldenrod's square. It was deserted this late at night, just how Lyra liked it. She could sit on a bench and just stare up at the moon, pointing out the constellations to herself, running her fingers through her long, brown hair. She was listless, for there was nothing to do. It was the middle of summer, hot and damp and miserable. Most of the time, she spent her time inside, where it was cool and pleasant. But at night, she always came outside.

She had just pinpointed Ursa Major when she heard a yell. She turned to the sound and, seeing someone run toward her, got to her feet and smoothly disappeared in a nearby alley. Better not to be seen, especially if it was someone suspicious.

"She wasn't here? But I could've sworn that was her…"

Her ears perked. She knew that voice anywhere. She stepped out and tapped Ethan's shoulder from behind. He yelped in surprise and whirled toward her.

"Looking for me?" she asked teasingly, clasping her hands behind her back.

"Oh, Lyra! Thank goodness I found you. Come on, there's not much time!" With that, he grabbed her hand and proceeded to run in the direction he had come. Lyra stumbled, but quickly regained her footing and sprinted with him.

"Where are we going?" she asked, shouting in order to be heard.

"You'll see!" was the only response she got. She huffed in an annoyance but let herself be pulled along. She could already tell which way they were going; left here, right there, and then the abandoned building would loom into view.

But why would Ethan want to bring her there now, of all times? He had had plenty of other opportunities.

"Quickly, he must be finishing up by now!" Ethan exclaimed, rapidly making his way toward the back door.

"Who?" Lyra managed to ask as she was pulled in. A dull roar – _the crowd_, she realized – met her ears, before they nearly burst as music pumped out, loud and clear as day.

"Him!" Ethan dragged her up the short flight of stairs and pointed to the DJ table.

She looked. Then she blinked. She rubbed her eyes, convinced she was seeing things, and then looked again. "What the hell. Ethan, this has got to be a joke."

"He didn't want you to know, but I can be sneaky, too," Ethan said with an uncharacteristically evil laugh. Lyra gave him a concerned look, but her eyes were soon drawn back to the disk jockey, expertly messing with the vinyl records, headphones secured over his ears.

So _that _was why Silver came here.

"Did he teach you?" Lyra asked Ethan, raising her voice in order to be heard.

"Yup!" Ethan replied, puffing his chest out with pride. "He's a surprisingly good teacher, you know. And he really knows his stuff."

Lyra looked again. He had one hand typing rapidly on the laptop sitting next to him while messing with dials and knobs and levers and who _knows_ what else with his other hand, all with his eyes closed and listening to his headphones, with speakers blasting next to him. He even had a small smile on his face. Silver was in his element.

"The perfect job for the antisocial," Lyra observed with a chuckle. He wouldn't have to talk to anyone that way, with his headphones over his ears like that.

The pair watched him, quiet, until Ethan said suddenly, "Oh, looks like he's ready to switch. You can leave, Lyra, if you want. Or you can… you know. Surprise him." Ethan gave her a wide grin. "He'd probably freak out."

Lyra returned it with a wide smile.

"Get it on film if you can."

"Can't. My phone's back at the hotel."

"Take mine." Ethan pressed his cell phone in her hand, and then stepped out onto the stage. The cheers became louder, if that were possible, and Silver smoothly slipped off the headphones and gave them to Ethan. It was fluid, graceful, and took less than five seconds; then Silver was walking toward her, combing back his sweat-slicked hair with his fingers accompanied with a tired sigh.

He stopped abruptly when he saw her standing there, messing with Ethan's phone. She had just pressed _record_ when he muttered darkly, "That bloody son of a bitch."

"It's too late now," Lyra said lightly, holding the phone up as if she were looking at its tiny screen when in reality she was filming him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Silver looked away, a deep scowl on his face. "Why would I?"

"I don't know. Maybe because we're, you know, _friends_?" she replied, stressing the last word far more than necessary, bringing the phone down from her face. Ethan would have to make do with audio instead.

He flinched, and Lyra instantly regretted what she said. But she continued on; the damage was done, after all, and it _was_ being recorded. "Seriously, though. I only found out yesterday."

"I knew that was you," he said in an accusing tone, stepping up to her until they were a mere foot apart. "Ethan laughed when I told him yesterday. That bloody bastard… he had this all planned out."

Silver rested his head in his hand, failing to notice the red blinking on Ethan's phone, signaling Lyra was recording. Lyra gently bounced the phone against her thigh, waiting for Silver to speak again. Even though the crowd was roaring and music was blasting, she still got the feeling they were isolated on their own little island.

After a moment he sighed and looked back up, signaling to Lyra that he was done with his mini freak-out. She slyly pressed the _record_ button, turning the phone off and slipping it into her back pocket as he said, "So, what did you think of it?"

She blinked. Never had Silver asked for her opinion on anything. "You as a DJ or how well you did? Because," she went on when she saw him open his mouth, "I was impressed with both." She nodded to Ethan. "You're a lot better than him, I think."

"I better be. I was the one who taught him all that," Silver growled, shooting a frosty glare behind his shoulder. "Though I wish he'd get more popular than me."

"You're more popular than him?" Lyra was surprised. Silver always did his best to stay out of the limelight. "Then why do you do this?"

Silver didn't respond for a long moment, leaving Lyra wondering if she'd ask the wrong thing. She jumped when he said, "I love music."

_That's it?_ And it was. He was looking straight at her, meeting her brown gaze squarely with his silver one.

"Are you just the DJ, then? Silver the DJ?" she asked, a little teasingly.

"Hell no," Silver said with a snort. "Giving them my real name would let them know who I am. Who knows where they'd chase me to."

When he didn't continue Lyra pressed, "So what do they call you, then? These, er, partygoers," she said, gesturing to the roaring crowd outside their little shelter.

"Let's go outside," Silver said instead, stepping lightly down the stairs and opening the door. He looked back at her expectantly, holding it open, and with a small smile she tromped down the stairs and went out. He followed, closing the door and leaning back on it, crossing his arms.

"So what do they call you?"

"A lot of things," he replied. "Redhead and ginger are probably some of the more common ones." He fingered his scarlet locks at he said this. "Then there are some people who think I'm a girl. And then there are a few who hound me to give them my real name."

He was evading the question. Lyra tried again, going for a new tactic. "What do they call Ethan?"

Silver snorted at that. "Yang. You know, Chinese for light or whatever."

"Then do they call you Yin?" Lyra wasn't so ditzy to not know what Yin Yang was – the Chinese symbol for balance. It made sense to her. Silver always wore dark clothes, and his personality was completely opposite Ethan's. He was always drier, a little darker, and much colder. Years of work had gone into getting him to even talk to her like this.

Silver rolled his eyes. "Stupid, isn't it? I would have preferred to be unnamed, but instead, they make me out as a dark, cold player. I really wish they wouldn't."

"Doesn't that mean girls chase after you, though?" Lyra teased. "Isn't that a good thing?"

His eyes flashed. "In what way does that make it a good thing?"

Lyra shrugged, a little taken aback. "You have your pick, I guess. Though," she said thoughtfully, "Being they think of you as a player, they'd probably think it'd be something like a one-night stand…"

"Exactly," Silver muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. "My reputation has grown because of that, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

Lyra shook her head, chuckling. "Poor Silver," she teased. "Forever the player DJ."

He blinked at her, and then – ever so slowly – he gave her a small smile. "That's me," he agreed.


	5. Wildfire

**Prompt: Wildfire**

**Universe: manga Sapphire/Ruby arc**

**Characters: Sapphire, Ruby**

**Genre(s): Romance, Action, Hurt/Comfort**

**Rating: K+.**

**Word count: 499**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

"My clothes are being ruined!"

"Shut up an' run!"

"I _am_! But my clothes – they're being _singed_! Do you know how long it will take to get the burn marks out?"

"D'you have a death wish? Run faster!"

"Don't you understand, Sapph? This is an emergency! I took _hours_ to sew this just right!"

"Watch out for th' tree, stupid!"

"Ow! Did you _have_ to pull my bad arm? Look, you pulled some threads out of my sleeve!"

"_This_ way, you sissy boy! _Not that way_!"

"Sorry, sorry. But Sapph! Now look! I'll have to sew this back on!"

"Jump!"

"I don't have any more thread of this color – _ow_!"

"Ruby, you either shut up an' run or I break your face an' leave you behind. You understand?"

"I'll keep running! But look at this! _Augh_, an ember on my sleeve!"

"_This_ way, idiot!"

"It burned a hole! A _hole_! And I spent so long on my jacket!"

"_Ruby, your hat is on fire!_"

"It can't be – ow! Crap crap crap!"

"Put it out, you dummy!"

"I _did_! Now look! I'll have to sew this back up _again_! This is the third time this week!"

"It's not my fault tha' they keep settin' places on fire!"

"But this time it was the whole forest! _What if it reaches Petalburg_?"

"Your family is safe, Ruby!"

"_I'll lose all of my supplies!_"

"Y – you're hopeless! Faster!"

"And before that, it was Littleroot! These Magma people are crazy!"

"Don't remind me, idiot! I lost my family because of tha' fire!"

"I know! But – _no_, now it's damaging my pants!"

"_Ruby, listen to me_. I lost my family. The only reason I'm pushin' you now is because I don't wanna lose you, either!"

"…"

"You see where I'm goin'? Stop worryin' about your clothes and _run!_"

"…"

"Jump!"

"I'm sorry, Sapph. Really, I am – _ow!_ That burned through my pant leg!"

"We're almost out! Keep goin'!"

"How long do we have to fight them, Sapphire?"

"Until we can get those Magma people under control, that's how long. _There, you can see the road!_"

"Thank Arceus…"

"…"

"…"

"… We made it, sissy boy."

"Yeah…"

"… Oh, Arceus…"

"S-Sapph? Why are you crying – did I say something wrong?"

"I-I've never been so scared in my life…"

"It's okay, Sapph. We're okay. We're alive."

"My f-family isn't."

"You have to live for them, Sapph. Okay? Live for them."

"… I'm such an idiot…"

"What? No, you're not!"

"I'm cryin' in front of _you_. Of course I'm an idiot."

"Everyone's weak at some point – _ow!_ What was that for?"

"I'm feelin' better. Thanks."

"What? Oh. You're welcome. … Wait. Did you just thank me?"

"What of it?"

"Well, it – never mind."

"That's what I thought. Let's move, sissy boy. They're on our tails."

"Figuratively, right? Ow!"

"We gotta keep runnin'. Let's go, Ruby."

"R-right. Sorry, Sapph."

"…"

"… Ah, dang, just _look _at my jacket – _ow_!"


	6. Formal wear

**Prompt: Formal wear (because ties just don't cut it)**

**Universe: games Sapphire/Ruby NOT Emerald**

**Characters: May, Brendan, Wally, Steven**

**Genre(s): Friendship**

**Rating: K.**

**Word count: 1821  
**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

It was supposed to be some sort of reunion. Not a fancy one, not a busy one – just sort of a get-together, to see old friends, to talk about mundane things like training and Pokemon.

So why did it end up as a white tie event, at some sort of fancy restaurant, with only four people?

It made entirely no sense, May concluded, as she landed her Swellow just outside the building. She returned it to its ball with mumbled thanks and stared at her destination.

The doors were tinted, so she couldn't see inside, but mostly, it was the beauty of the place that shocked her. Each brick, it seemed, had been painted a shade of white that glistened in the moonlight by hand. She couldn't see a single crack anywhere. The doors were spotless and unadorned, the black color contrasting pleasantly with the white. The handles on them were another story – bronze, it appeared to be, as she placed a bare hand on it, in the form of an elegant Milotic.

"Who's paying for this?" she murmured, running her fingers over the water-type's sculpture. She was almost positive she wouldn't be able to afford paying for four meals here. She doubted she could pay her own. She tugged on the door and slipped swiftly inside, noticing that the door closed silently behind her.

That's uncanny, she thought, before she took note of the lobby. If you could call it a lobby, that is. The single room alone was bigger than her small house back in Littleroot where she lived with her paretns.

A crystal chandelier glittered prettily above as a familiar face approached. May was examining the marble sculptures placed sporadically around the room – showing many Pokemon she had seen over the years – when he reached out and grasped her hand warmly.

"May," Steven Stone said with a smile, "I'm very glad you could make it."

"Listen, Stone," May said, placing her free hand on one hip, "You'd better be paying for this, you got me?"

The former Hoenn Champion chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of doing anything else," he replied, before bowing down and kissing the back of her hand. May raised an eyebrow and resisted the urge to jerk her hand back.

He had just released her fingers when another boy entered the room with the grace of a cat. It took May a moment to recognize him, since his hair was now black instead of white. Then she remembered with a flush that Brendan almost always wore his hat around everywhere, and that his hair _was _black underneath it.

"Thank Arceus I'm not last," he said, allowing Steven to shake his hand before pulling him into a one arm hug. May remembered that Brendan called them _man hug_, and had insisted they were the next big thing. But to her, it seemed a little awkward.

"None of that for me," she said when Brendan seemed inclined to do the same when he looked at her. "A _real_ hug, Brendan. The last time you gave me one of those _man hugs_ was just embarrassing."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm _so_ sorry you don't like them," he said scathingly. Still, he enveloped her in a real hug, arms wrapping lightly around her lithe body, her own going around his shoulders.

Once they parted Brendan turned to Steven and the two immediately began discussing Pokemon. May left them at it, instead letting her gaze wander the hall. The silence unnerved her, and each soft step she took with her flats echoed eerily off the stone walls. They shone like fire in the light glow, and May could see her reflection in the black tiles beneath her feet.

The conversation was just dwindling down between the two males when the door opened and closed, silent as ever. The young boy in front of them looked a little worse-for-wear, panting slightly, straightening his jacket self-consciously as he approached. "Am I late?" he asked breathlessly, shaking Steven's hand and accepting a 'man hug' from Brendan.

"No, of course not," Steven replied, smiling warmly at the boy. "Now that we're all here, let's go sit."

May clapped the boy on the shoulder as they followed Steven. "Nice to see you again, Wally," she said, keeping her voice low. The echoing off the walls unnerved her.

"L-likewise," Wally replied, also unnerved by the sheer expensive-ness of the place.

They came into an even larger piece, one that resembled some sort of carpeted ballroom. They even had an orchestra playing softly in the background. There was the hum of conversation behind held quietly, and wherever May looked there were people dressed up in – most probably – their best clothes, seated at round tables covered in spotless white tablecloths.

She caught up to Brendan and asked him in a whisper, "What _is_ this place?"

Brendan had always been able to adjust quickly, but even this was a little much for him. He absently straightened his tie as he murmured, "Somewhere much more expensive than I could ever afford."

There was a distinctive clink; _wine glasses_, May realized, looking around for the source of the sound. She nearly bumped in to a waiter balancing a tray prettily in one hand, a wine glass held in the other. The waiter _tsked_ at her before moving on, and May glared at his back.

"It's been less than five minutes and you're already pissing people off," Brendan joked softly, slipping an arm around her waist.

May rolled her eyes, not even bothering to try and squirm free as Steven finally stopped at a table for four. "Shut up, Brendan."

Steven waited for his three guests to sit before he settled down himself. "I'm sure you are all wondering what this place is," he said pleasantly, as if they were talking about the weather.

Wally and Brendan exchanged glances while May scowled at the former Champion. "You're absolutely right," she said scathingly.

Steven, used to her short-tempered way of dealing with things, chuckled. "It _is_ good to see you all again."

"That it is," Brendan said, resting his head in his hand. That was true. May hadn't seen Steven or Wally, the boy Brendan's father had taken under his care, for several months. But she and Brendan had seen each other often, him helping her father with his research much like she was. They often wound up back at Birch's lab at the same time.

"Seriously. What _is_ this place?" Wally asked nervously, casting a harried glance to either side.

"It's one of the best restaurants in Hoenn," Steven responded, leaning back into his ornately decorated chair and folding his hands neatly on the table. "Very expensive, and hard to secure reservations."

"Who's paying?" the three asked at the same time. They grinned ruefully at each other before Wally asked again, "Who _is_ paying?"

"I am, naturally. I doubt you have enough money to pay for your own meal, let alone four," Steven answered.

"What was the point of bring us here, Stone?" May asked. "We've could've met any place at all, and yet you choose the most expensive restaurant in Hoenn?"

Steven smiled slightly. "Really, May, can't you call me by my first name?"

May scowled deeply. "When I'm irritated, _Stone_, it's best not to get on my nerves. Quit evading the question and answer."

Steven regarded the trio staring right at him, impatiently waiting. Finally he said, "Let's just say there are going to be some interesting people here, hm?"

Wally spoke up suddenly. "I just realized – isn't that Wallace over there?"

Both May and Brendan spun in their seats. Indeed, there sat the man, his light turquoise hair slicked back for once. He was gazing at them with a small smile.

"Across from him – that's the Gym Leader Winona, isn't it?" May said, indicating the other person sitting across from Wallace. Her lavender hair was dressed up elegantly on her head. May admitted she was a little jealous of it.

"There's Flannery over there," Brendan said, nodding in the general direction. He wasn't so rude as to point.

"And that's Watson!" Wally said, indicating yet another direction.

Eventually, they pinpointed all the Gym Leaders of Hoenn, stationed all over the room. Most of them, anyway. No matter how hard they searched, they couldn't find Brendan's father, Norman.

"Steven, why'd you bring us here?" Brendan asked the former Champion. "If the Gym Leaders are all here, then it must be important, right? So why're we here?"

Steven gave him a look that could almost be described as pitying. "Brendan, you are the current Champion of Hoenn, if you recall. May is an accomplished trainer and researcher in her own right, and Wally is also a fantastic trainer. Why _wouldn't_ you be called here?"

As soon as Steven said that, the light from the multiple chandeliers strung around the room dimmed slightly, and the orchestra stopped playing and began to pack up. Now May could see they were Ace Trainers, considering the Pokeballs at their waist. All of the top battlers were here, it seemed. And who should it be but Norman who took their place as they tromped away with their cases.

"Gym Leaders, trainers, I welcome you," he said. "You must be wondering why you were all called here – or brought here, I imagine."

May could've sworn he looked over them and winked, but he continued almost immediately, so she wasn't sure. "I'm here to tell you why."

The silence in the room was deafening, and Norman let it simmer for a moment before he announced gravely, "There is a crisis on our hands."

May, Brendan and Wally all exchanged glances. How many crises had they dealt with in the past few years? Many, including Kyogre, and Groudon, and Team Aqua and Magma. What could have possibly gone wrong now?

"I'll sum it up in one word," the Gym Leader said. He paused, then proclaimed, "Rayquaza."

The three exchanged wicked grins. A challenge.

Oh, how they loved a good challenge.

"It has yet to run wild across the region, but it is roaming right now. Before it runs wild, we have to calm it down."

"You don't need eight Gym Leaders for that," Wally observed, patting his pocket where his Pokeballs were located.

"I bet the three of us could do it," Brendan agreed in a whisper.

Steven regarded their conversation with amused silence as Norman continued, "Of course, we will not all be fighting it all at once, but Gym Leaders must be aware. For now, we'll leave it to regional trainers. Rayquaza is currently near my home, Petalburg. So - "

Norman watched as the three trainers jumped up from their table and streaked across the room, eager to get started. He chuckled and said, "I think we have it under control, for the moment."

He was met with assorted laughter.


	7. Flaws

**Prompt: Flaws**

**Universe: manga**

**Characters: Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Crystal, Silver, Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Pearl, Diamond, Platinum, White, Black**

**Genre(s): not sure…**

**Rating: K.**

**Word count: 446**

**It's kind of interesting to write these. I don't get reviews, of course - that totally DOESN'T bother me, ahem ahem - but it is super fun to have all these themes. I have a list, by the way. If you'd like to see it I can send it to you ^^  
**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

_What is your worst flaw?_

"Juniors first!"

"Aw, come on!"

"You heard me. So, you Unovians. Spill!"

Black patted the Munna on his head and then confessed, "I can barely concentrate on anything that's not related to my dreams."

"And I can be dense to the point I lose things precious to me," White said, thinking back to her event with her Tepig.

"Sinnoh natives, your turn."

"Blue, you should stop being so impatient."

"Shut up, Red. I'll do what I want."

"S-sorry…"

"Things that are obvious to others are foreign to me," Platinum interrupted with a slightly embarrassed expression.

Pearl scowled and muttered, "My temper can get me in trouble…"

"I like to work when there's food nearby," Diamond said. Sure enough, he was munching on some sort of sandwich.

"Don't say it," Emerald warned Sapphire, who was ready to point out his flaw.

"But it's so _obvious_!"

"Yeah, I know! Stop bugging me about it!" Realizing everyone was waiting, he muttered, "I'm too freakin' short."

Ruby confessed, "My obsession with clothes makes some people concerned, though I can't imagine why."

Sapphire rolled her eyes while saying, "My wildness scares most people."

When none of the Johto natives made a move to speak, Blue prodded Silver. "You go first."

He shot her a glare before looking down and mumbling, "I'm not very likeable."

Gold folded his hands behind his back. "What can I say? I'm perfect – _ow!_"

"I can be just a teensy bit violent," Crystal said sweetly, arm taut and ready to go.

"Fine!" Gold glared at the girl and said, "I'm a gambler at heart."

"Our turn!" Blue said gleefully, clapping her hands together. "Yellow?"

"I'm frightened easily," the smaller girl admitted, clasping her hands behind her back.

"How about you go, Blue?"

"Aw, Green, do you not want to share?"

"Honestly? No. But I have no choice, do I?"

"Nope!" Blue grinned mercilessly and crowed, "I love tricking people! That's not a flaw though."

"It is, because people don't trust you," White pointed out.

Blue's smile faded slightly, but it brightened again as she turned to the tall brunette next to her. "Okay, Green, go!"

Green rolled his eyes and said, "Apparently, I'm too sarcastic and not very nice."

"And people tell me I'm oblivious," Red said.

"And now that I know all of your flaws…" Blue laughed maniacally, and the people next to her stepped back with a shiver. Everyone else just stared at her. Blue threw her hands in the arm and shouted, "I can exploit them!"

When she looked back everyone was running for the door. "Oh, come on!" she shouted after them. "Can't I have some fun?"


	8. Bar

**Prompt: Bar**

**Universe: manga, first arc**

**Characters: Red, Yellow, Blue, Green**

**Genre(s): Romance, Action  
**

**Rating: T.**

**Word count: 1782**

**As requested by an anonymous reviewer, this contains Luckyshipping. I myself have never supported it but I will do my best.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

"If it isn't Green! Welcome, sir," the barmaid greeted, waving a delicate hand in the brunette's direction. "I see you brought a friend."

"Hope this evening's finding you well, Yellow." The brunette slipped into an empty seat at the counter. His companion slipped into the stool next to him.

"Indeed it is. What can I get for you?"

"A shot of whiskey, I think."

"Of course. How about you, sir?"

"I don't really need anything," the raven-haired man admitted. "I'm just looking for information."

The blonde across from him grinned. That predator's smile didn't belong on such a young face, especially one so petite. "Well, sir, you have come to the right place. Are you sure you don't need something?"

He hesitated. "Water would be fine."

The smile disappeared, and the small barmaid leaned forward on the counter, brown eyes narrowed. "Pardon for my rudeness, sir, but this is the best bar in town. I suggest you at least get some of our whiskey."

The raven-haired man across from her sighed. "No… water, please."

Now the blonde scowled at him. "Very well, sir. Water it is." She turned around, filling up a glass with water. As she did this the loud, familiar noises of a tavern fight began. Green cracked a grin when Yellow yelled, "You boys better stop it before I call _her_ in!" The other man blinked when the noises faded immediately, filled instead with disgruntled mutters and curses.

"So, Green, what's the name?" Yellow asked the brunette, pulling up a stool herself and sitting down as if she hadn't been yelling in the first place. She gestured to Red, looking him over with intelligent brown eyes.

"This is Red. He's a friend of mine from a long time ago. Red, this is Yellow. She's a lot more outgoing than she used to be, for sure." Green ducked to avoid a smack from the smaller girl, laughing. "Before, she was afraid of mice. Now she can stop a brawl fight with a simple command!"

"Nice to meet you, Red," Yellow said, shaking hands with the other man. "So, you were saying you're looking for information? Might I ask what type?"

"Locations, of certain… things," Red replied, choosing his words carefully.

Yellow gave him a long look before turning to Green. "You trust 'im enough, Green?"

Green nodded. "With my life."

Yellow smiled again, the same predator's smile she'd been wearing moments before. "Very well. Green, you distract anyone that comes up, all right? I'll be with them in a moment." With that, the young blonde disappeared behind a door, and the pair watched as it swung slowly on its hinges until it was still.

"Interesting place," Red said at last.

"That's the least of it," Green said, punching the other man playfully on the shoulder. "Just wait until you meet the matron of this place. She's the one you're looking for."

As he said this the door swung open and Yellow trotted back in. Behind her a taller brunette walked in, adjusting the white fedora on her head so that it didn't cover her eyes. Red's eyes flicked to the rifle strapped to her back and then to her face once more.

"She's pretty as a flower," Yellow warned Red in a whisper as she passed, "But she's vicious. Watch what you say."

"You asked for me?" the other girl asked Red, leaning forward suggestively on the counter. "Information, is it? You've come to the right place."

"So I've been told," Red said mildly, wrapping his fingers around his water glass but not lifting it to his lips. "I need locations."

She shot him a lazy grin, smoothing her blue shirt with a surprisingly tough-looking hand. "It's polite to introduce yourself first, don't you think?"

Red looked at her for a moment. Then he extended a hand and said, "My apologies. I'm Red."

"Blue." They shook.

"Blue's the one in the know around here," Yellow told Red. "She knows everything from gossip to all sorts of secrets."

"Don't get on her bad side, though," Green advised. "She's a fearsome thing when you give her anything blunt. Like a stick. She once stopped three grown men from trashing this place with a branch from the tree outside."

"That was ages ago," Blue said, waving it away with a flap of her hand. "What're you needing, exactly? Locations of people, locations of objects, locations of… oh. Oh-ho." She flashed the newcomer a toothy grin. "You're looking for _that_, aren't you."

When Red didn't confirm or deny it, Blue prodded the girl next to her and nodded to Green. "Green, Yellow, I'll be out for a moment," she said. "This boy's needing something quite… big."

"Sure thing, Blue. Take your time. He's kind of cute."

"That's not what she meant, Yellow, and you know it," Green said, chuckling. "I would hate it if she hooked up with someone else besides me."

"C'mon, Green, she hasn't done anything with you. Don't give yourself airs." The unusual pair kept arguing while Blue and Red slipped outside.

"So, let me get this right," Blue said, swinging her brown hair over her shoulder as they walked along the deserted streets of the town. "You came to the Sevii Islands to find a certain something, am I right?"

"Yes," was all the reply she received.

"You, sir, have good connections. This way." She tugged him into a dark alley. "You got a weapon?"

Red wasn't so foolish to wander a city weaponless. "Handgun," he said, his lips barely moving. He did not tell her he had three of them.

"Good enough. Let's go." She prowled down the alley, Red a silent shadow at her side. They came across a battered door, where she pushed the wood. It swung open softly, leading to blackness.

"Perfect," Blue said softly. Red blinked, realized what was going to happen, and had taken one step away before Blue yanked him back by the back of his collar.

She brought his face close to hers. "We don't take kindly to outsiders, you know," she sneered, tapping the tip of his nose. He struggled to fight, but his hands were quickly tied behind his back; Blue had tied them with one hand. She deftly wrapped something around his eyes – a blindfold – and then said, "Here we go."

He was dragged inside, and he heard the door swing shut softly behind him. A musty smell filled his nose, and he fought the urge to cough. He was shoved into a chair and his feet were tied to it.

Someone reached into his pocket and drew out his wallet. "So you're a big government worker, huh? Here to investigate. Because you knew we were hiding _something_, but you didn't know what. Curious." He heard the rustle of cloth as she turned. When she spoke again, he could've sworn she sounded sorry, even worried. "I'll have to knock you out for now. Sit tight. I'll be back."

Red braced himself for the impact and received it as shrieking agony on his head. And then everything went black.

* * *

Someone was cutting his bonds, that much he knew. And then his blindfold was off.

"Are you okay?" a soft voice asked him. He opened his eyes. He blinked multiple times, and then shook his head. Either he was going insane or Blue was standing in front of him, eyes wide in concern.

"What are you doing here?" Red asked her, his voice a growl in his throat as he flexed his fingers. She flinched and hugged herself. So he wasn't going crazy…

"I'm sorry about earlier," she whispered, looking around. She took her hat off and fiddled with it as she confessed, "I had to do it."

"Really now," Red said scathingly.

"Please believe me. Please." Her voice was so sincere Red let his guard down – just a little bit. "Green and Yellow are part of a smuggling gang. They run their operations in the bar I work at." She swallowed, then continued shakily, "Everyone thinks I own the bar, but I don't. Green does. That way, if they're caught, they can place all the blame on me."

She stopped, looked down. Red urged her on with a soft "Go on."

She sniffed, and then continued, "They knew you were after their business, so they sent me to… k-kill you. They've never asked me to kill someone." She looked up at him, and determination was written across her face. "Once they know you're free, I'll be dead."

"If you can lead me to them, your life will be spared," Red said immediately.

"That's what I hoped for." She extended a hand. "I'm a gun-for-hire; that much I've been taught. I can nail a man's leg from quite a distance."

He hesitated, but his logical side argued that another gun at his side would help. He shook it. "I see. What do you charge?"

"Nothing for this job."

Red did not smile. "Good enough. Where do we start?"

Blue looked at him. "We look for this." She lifted the hem of her shirt. There, on her stomach near her naval, was a small, pretty flower drawn in black ink. "They smuggle marijuana, but I've never actually seen it myself," she added, letting the fabric cover the mark again and removing the rifle from her back.

"And where do you suppose they gather?"

She rolled her eyes. "For a government worker, you sure are stupid. Where do you think? The bar, obviously. It's the best bar in town 'cause of the smuggling money they get."

After a moment of contemplative silence Blue said, "You'll need a disguise to go in there… and we'll have to fake your death if I want to get in."

"Let's go separate ways for now," Red said. "I will check out the bar. From a distance," he added when Blue opened her mouth to protest. "Do you think you could talk with – er - "

"My smuggler 'friends'?" Blue asked, doing quotation marks with her fingers. "Of course."

"Let's go, then," Red said. He began to walk out of the alley, but not before Blue caught his arm. When he looked down she leaned on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered. Then she ran off.

Red stared after her for a moment before shaking his head and continuing on. It hadn't been the first time that had happened, but it was the first time he felt warm afterward. He absently fingered his cheek and told himself that he should not have gotten involved with a criminal, unwilling or not.

Despite that, he still wanted to see her again.


	9. Money

**Prompt: Money**

**Universe: manga **

**Characters: Gold, Sapphire**

**Genre(s): Romance, Humor(ish)**

**Rating: K.**

**Word count: 655**

**As requested by **blazelight790**, this is a Wildsideshipping fic (I will get to the other somewhat... different request as well). It's strange how I'm writing about all these pairings I don't support. But… they're all kind of likeable… in some sort of way…  
**

**This ended up different than what I had planned. It's not really about money either, but… meh.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

"Are you kidding, Sapphire? Money is _everything_."

"No it's not! I can go to th' forest an' find food jus' fine! I don't need _money_ to get what I need!"

Gold eyed his junior dubiously. "Is that so?"

Sapphire was quick to retort. "Yeah, it is!"

"What about shelter? Or Pokemon care? Or clothes?"

"Easy. I can make a shelter outta sticks if I hafta, my Pokemon can live jus' fine on what nature provides, an' I can make my own clothes if I hafta!"

"I'm guessing you didn't make the clothes you're wearing, though."

"No, Ruby made these." As she said this she absently smoothed down the fitted material. Gold bit his lip but said nothing. "As annoyin' as 'e is, 'e can make really good clothes."

"I see." The silence that followed was only broken by the wind rustling through leaves.

"So why d'you call me out here, senior Gold? Besides t' argue 'bout money," Sapphire added.

It took Gold a moment to gather himself and actually say the words. "I needed to talk to you about something."

"Okay, shoot," Sapphire replied, unperturbed.

Gold stared at her. More silence. Then he grinned and asked her, "Do you like Ruby?"

This time, the silence was deafening. The tension increased, and Gold felt like the whole atmosphere of the place had gotten heavier. After a moment Sapphire said slowly, "So… you ask me, point-blank, if I like Ruby, who happens to be my childhood friend as well as companion while we fought to save the entire Hoenn region."

Gold shrugged, noting she was speaking properly, and let a smile grace his features. "Ruby told me some things. Some things he doesn't want me to tell you. So I figured I should ask, for his sake."

That caught her interest immediately. "Really?"

He leaned back, content. "Yeah. Doesn't mean I'm going to tell you what he said, though."

"Fine," she said, crossing her arms defiantly. "You don't tell me, I won't answer your question."

He paused, and then cleared his throat; something had just occurred to him. "I can tell you one thing."

"What is it?"

"If I tell you, will you answer my question?"

Sapphire contemplated it. Crystal had warned her various times not to get too deeply involved with Gold, who was a gambler, playboy and who-_knows_-what-else. But she still wanted to know. So she said, "Fine."

Gold winked at her. "It all comes back to _money_."

She stared at him. Then she asked incredulously, "That's _it_?"

"Yeah. Your turn."

"I didn' even know Ruby was _into _money! The only thing 'e really loves is, well, clothes," Sapphire mused. Gold wasn't sure whether to take this as a good sign or not.

"As you promised, your answer, please," he pressed, leaning forward.

"I like 'im," Sapphire said confidently. She either didn't notice or ignored as Gold sighed, propping his head on his hand. "But he keeps evadin' th' subject."

"So he told me."

Sapphire shot straight up. "_What?_ He told _you_ that? No offense," she added hastily when Gold shot her a look. "I'm surprised. He keeps t' himself, mostly."

Gold got to his feet and stretched. "Well, my mission is done."

"Wait… _mission_?"

"If it makes you feel better, it was self-appointed. Oh, yes, and I forgot something." He waited for Sapphire to get to her feet. Then, so quickly Sapphire didn't have time to react, he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers.

She stared after him as he walked off with his back to her, raising a hand in farewell. It took her a moment to realize what he'd just done. Then she ran after him, yelling, "_Senior Gold! What was that for?_"

Gold hid behind a tree and watched her run past, grinning widely. Once Crystal found out, he'd be done in. _But_, he thought, as he watched his junior continue on, _it was really all worth it._

* * *

**I like reviews. So… please?**


	10. Disaster

**Prompt: Disaster**

**Universe: manga**

**Characters: Red, Yellow, Green, Blue**

**Genre(s): Romance, Tragedy, Hurt/Comfort**

**Rating: T for swearing and death.**

**Word count:**

**As requested by **Pyrus Ur – Servant of Odin**, this is a Specialshipping fic. A depressing Specialshipping fic. Note that it is told in Green's view, in a third-person style.**

**Again, never really supported this, but what can I say? This is a huge learning experience for me, writing about relationships I don't really support. Now I'm learning just how loveable they all are, in their own way ;)**

**WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH. Don't like, don't read.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

The cemetery suddenly seemed so much gloomier when her body was interred there.

"I'm here to… talk about the one of the best people this region has ever seen." There was a pause, a cough, and then Green continued thickly, "We will always remember her."

Green paused as Blue took station next to Red and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. The other boy was standing next to him, head down and hands covering his face. In the setting sun the brunette could make out the tears leaking between his fingers.

Blue was staring down at the grave, eyes wide even as she wiped furiously at them.

They were friends, inseparable, with bonds deeper than any ocean. But now that one was gone, the bond was weakening, threatening to split somewhere… _What if Red doesn't pull through? _Green wondered, his eyes still threatened to spill. But he still managed to speak.

"She was always little shy…"

"She didn't deserve it," Red whispered, half-interrupting the boy while leaning into Blue, resting his fingers on his cheeks. "If anyone deserved it, it was me. I should be the one dead, not – not her." His voice was broken and shaking.

"No," Blue said forcibly, giving the other boy a rough shake. "No one deserved it, Red. _No one_."

"If I had just gone a bit faster – if I had just realized earlier - "

"Red, stop it," Blue begged, even though the mischievous girl had never begged in her entire life. "Stop it now."

Green managed to talk despite the argument, his voice shaking. "But she was always kind and gentle."

"But Blue, she's gone. _Gone_. I c-can't believe she's really… gone."

Blue pulled him in a rough embrace, holding his shaking shoulders against her. There was nothing Green could do to help Blue; taking care of the frail Red was a delicate procedure, fit only for one person.

Red had been closest to the other girl. He had always been closer to her than the others.

That didn't mean Green didn't miss her. She was a peacemaker, a sweet girl who always knew what to say, when to say it. He could not wipe his eyes; his hands held the small slip of paper in a death grip. For the first time, he let the tears flow, forcing himself to continue.

"She was an accomplished trainer in her own right."

Red shuddered at that. Green gave him a quick look-over, placing his hand lightly on the other boy's shoulder. He had never imagined himself doing this. But it was the least he could do.

And there was so little he _could_ do. He and Blue were, so far, stable. But there was only so much they could do to help their friend.

Green felt like he was drowning in shame and guilt. There was nothing he could do, and he… he was disrespecting her because he wasn't broken like Red.

He choked out, "And one of the best friends anyone could ask for."

He could see Blue squeeze the other boy tightly, enough so that Red squeaked softly.

Red had been the one to find her – her body, that is. He had told no one what had happened, not even the police; the only thing he ever said was that he'd found her lying in the forest, her Pokemon settled around her and quietly waiting. Waiting for what, he never told.

Green knew they had waited for her to wake up. But she never would. Not anymore. And he forced himself to finish his short speech.

"We will always remember her for her kindness, courage and gentle way of dealing with humans and Pokemon alike." He sniffed, wiping his eyes, and added, "We – we will always miss you, Yellow."

* * *

**Good? Bad? How about some requests or reviews? Please?**


	11. Excalibur

**Prompt: Excalibur**

**Universe: manga**

**Characters: Sapphire, Willy**

**Genre(s): Humor, Romance(ish), some other thing…**

**Rating: K.**

**Word count: 290; short again.**

**As requested by **blazelight790**, this is MangaNewRivalshipping (long name there…).**

**Contains Arthurian myth and lore and potential spoilers… well, not really spoilers, per se, but stuff that you may not know. So… don't read if you don't want to…**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

"So Sapphire, I know you're not into books that much, but I think you'll like this one." Wally held the book out for inspection from his post on the bench.

Sapphire looked it over with an analytic eye. "_Excalibur_," she read out loud. Then she said, "Oh, I know tha' one. King Arthur an' Merlin an' Morgana an'… what's his name? Mordred, that's it."

Wally shook his head, smiling. "What about the sword?"

"Th' legendary sword Excalibur, what about it? I didn' forget it." She shrugged. "It's a kinda weird legend, don'tcha think?"

"So you know it?" Wally asked, eyes shining.

She snorted. "'Course I know it. I _do_ read books too, ya know."

"Hm." Wally fell silent, thinking. "It strikes a bit odd that you do, actually."

"You're not the first one t' tell me that," Sapphire said, not sourly, but in a matter-of-fact sort of way. "Personally I think I read more books than tha' sissy boy we both know."

Wally winced at the reference of Sapphire's long-time crush. "It's nice to know, though. Maybe we can talk about books sometime."

"That'd be nice," Sapphire agreed. "Well, ya gonna open th' book?"

"Haven't you already read it, though?"

"Why not read it again?"

"True enough." She sat down next to him as he flipped the pages open, leaning over to see better.

When she pointed out a passage she liked, her arm brushed against his shoulder, and Wally felt himself unable to concentrate on anything except that. Even her voice was lost to him, but it didn't really matter; it was smooth and elegant to his ears, even with the rough slang.

At last, Wally had found something that made him superior to Ruby.

And if he played his cards right, then maybe he'd get lucky.

* * *

**Yeah, so, uh... this was interesting. It kind of didn't work, but... meh. Review and comments, please? **


	12. Berries

**Prompt: Berries**

**Universe: manga **

**Characters: Green, Blue**

**Genre(s): uh… Humor, I guess...  
**

**Rating: K.**

**Word count: 289**

**By the way - I'm not kidding. Every berry listed is actually a berry in the game, provided you have generation IV or above.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

"Green, you're a researcher, right?"

Green said cautiously, "Yes…" He never knew what Blue could have planned.

"In that case, shouldn't you know the names of all of the berries, right?"

Green scolded himself for not seeing that coming. "Yeah."

"Can you name them all for me?"

He should've expected that, too. "Probably…"

"Do it. Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"_No_."

"Please? I won't plant a bomb in your cake again."

He _really _should've expected that one. "Don't make empty promises, pesky woman."

"… Please? Please? Pretty please with, uh, Cheri berries on top?"

Green had a feeling that, if he continued saying no, he would be standing here all day arguing. So he conceded. "… Fine."

"Yay! Do you know them in numerical order?"

Oh, Arceus, no. _But I should've expected that as well._ "Yeah…"

"Okay, then. Go ahead."

Green took a deep breath, exhaled, inhaled again, and then said quickly, "Cheri, Chesto, Pecha, Rawst, Aspear, Leppa, Oran, Persim, Lum, Sitrus, Figy, Wiki, Majo, Aguav, Iapapa, Razz, Bluk, Nanab, Wepear, Pinap, Pomeg, Kelpsy, Qualot, Hondew, Grepa - "

"Whoa, you actually _do_ know all of them, don't you? In numerical order, even!"

Green glared at her for interrupting and continued, "Tamato, Cornn, Magost, Rabuta, Nomel, Spelon, Pamtre, Watmel, Durin, Belue, Occa, Passho, Wacan, Rindo, Yache, Chople, Kebia, Shuca, Coba, Payapa, Tanga, Charti, Kasib - "

"And don't you need to, oh, I don't know, _breath_?"

Green stopped, inhaled, exhaled, inhaled, and went on, "Haban, Colbur, Babiri, Chilan, Liechi, Ganlon, Salac, Petaya, Apicot, Lansat, Starf, Enigma, Micle, Custap, Jaboca, and… Rowap."

There was silence. Then Blue clapped a few times and said, "That was amazing!"

This time around, Green knew what was coming next.

"So can you tell me what they all do?"

Yup, just as he'd expected. He responded accordingly. "_Oh_ _hell no!_"

"Hey! Where are you going?" Then she shouted after him, "It was a valid question!"

* * *

**The buttshipping fic requested will be posted soon. Any requests/comments/suggestions/reviews? I do like the observations and it's fun to write suggestions. So please! Review!**


	13. Double Date

**Prompt: Double date**

**Universe: manga**

**Characters: Blue, Gold, Green, Crystal**

**Genre(s): Romance**

**Rating: K+, for gambling and such.**

**Word count: 1156**

**As requested by **Kimiko Heroux**, this is a buttshipping fanfi - *stops, looks back, blinks* - um… excuse me for a moment. *Googles 'buttshipping'* They named the Blue/Gold **_**buttshipping**_**? Really, people? Really? **

**Okay, just a note - my time on the Internet is now restricted... at most, I'll update once a week or once biweekly. Which is terrible! But that's the way it is. So... yeah. Enjoy.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

"Of course, after the restaurant, we just _had_ to go to a freaking casino," Crystal said dryly, propping her hands on her hips.

Green shot Blue a glare. She raised her hands in a surrender pose. "Don't look at me. It wasn't my idea this time."

The three all looked around and focused their gazes on Gold's back, where he was currently playing pool – and creaming his adult opponents. Blue couldn't help but trace his shoulder blades with her eyes, or observe the way his cap was hung askew on his head, or even examine how his muscles flowed under his skin as he played.

She adjusted her white hat with a soft sigh. She had never really liked gambling, but Gold did, and when he suggested it, she really couldn't say no. Now she wished she had, even though she liked watching Gold's smooth, professional movements.

"Can I just leave?" Green asked Blue, catching her attention by poking her shoulder.

She rubbed the spot where he did and nodded. "We might as well all go," she said, though she wanted to stay and watch Gold. "Our Pokemon could use the flight."

"Finally. I have to get back to the Lab. Oh, and Blue?"

"Yes, Crystal?" Blue responded in an overly sweet voice.

"Consider the debt paid," Crystal said frostily. Then she spun on her heel and walked off to the entrance, easily slipping through the crowd.

Green asked Blue, "Debt?"

"She owed me," Blue explained, unabashed. "When I suggested a double date, she refused, even when I told her Gold would be there. So I made her do it."

Green slowly shook his head. "You're… well, you've always been a little odd. I didn't dare say no…"

Blue grinned a predator's grin. "You know me well enough not to refuse my suggestions, my dear friend."

"Yeah, but… me being your _date_ is stretching it some. I almost did say no." He reached into his pocket and took out his phone, flipping it open and scanning his new texts. "Hm… I got to go now. You coming?"

Blue nodded, but then hesitated. Thinking quickly, she said, "I left my bag somewhere back there… I have to go look for it. Go ahead without me."

If Green suspected anything – which he did, according to the sidelong look he gave her – he said nothing out of ordinary. "I would wait for you, but I have two challengers at my Gym right now. See you later."

"Bye." She made off to the other direction. But as soon as he was out of sight, she came back and walked to where Gold was.

He grinned widely when she approached. "Hey, Blue!" He gestured to the disgruntled players opposing him. "These guys can't stand to my awesomeness."

"Shut it, kid," an older man rumbled, but Gold just cackled mercilessly.

"Easy for you to win, then," she teased, one hand on her hip. "Well, Green and Crystal left. They got bored, I think."

"That's too bad." A moment later, he said excitedly, "After this I can show you around here, if you'd like. This place is like a gambler's paradise."

"That sounds great." It didn't particularly appeal to her, but it was Gold who would be showing her around. Blue could hardly contain her excitement, but she did, with a high level of maturity. "How much longer?"

Gold smirked, aimed, and hit the final eight ball into a basket. "I'm done. As soon as I collect my winnings, that is." Once he had, he looped an arm through hers and dragged her along. His mere touch sent shivers down her spine. "This way to the slot machines!"

Blue paid half-attention while he explained the slots to her. She was an expert at cheating, but it's impossible to rig a slot machine without necessary equipment so they did not interest her. Poker and blackjack, on the other hand – a bribe, quick fingers and sharp eyes could nab an easy victory. Blue knew from experience.

When they finally did move on to card playing, Blue did not participate, opting to instead watch Gold fluidly play a game. He had a flawless poker face, and the way his fingers twitched and slid the cards around entranced her. He was… a professional. Blue was an amateur compared to him at best.

Professional he was, Gold still lost big occasionally, as he did that day when his bluff was called. After that, he decided he'd been there long enough, and Blue followed him when he went to cash in the remainder of his chips.

Once they had exited the building Gold told her, "Why'd you stay for so long? Normally people get bored when – well, normally they leave when Green and Crystal did."

Blue didn't dare tell him the truth, so she just shrugged. "Gambling is kind of my thing, you know? Because," she added, "I'm good at cheating, so…"

"Hm…"

Apparently, Gold didn't quite believe her. But Blue just left it as it was. Let him believe what he wanted; she knew the real reason and that was what was really important.

"Well, thanks for keeping me company," he said. Blue nearly swooned at his signature grin. "It was nice to have someone watching… kept me on my toes."

Blue ignored the fact that he only liked having her there because she 'kept him on his toes'. "Anytime," she said instead, removing a Pokeball from her bag. "It was fun."

They stood in awkward silence, not sure of what to say to another. Sure, Blue liked Gold, but she'd only done so from a distance. The two had never really talked much.

All of a sudden, Blue decided to do it. She had her Pokeball in her hand, so she could escape once… well, once she did it. She wondered vaguely why she decided now was the time as she said, "Hey, Gold."

He turned his head to look at her. "What – "

He never finished his sentence; Blue had lunged forward and pressed her lips against his. It was over so quickly Gold barely had time to blink before she was riding her Jigglypuff, waving gleefully at him.

"What the heck was that, Blue?" he yelled after her, cupping his hands around his mouth. He felt pleasantly warm, and his lips still tingled from the touch.

"Catch me and I'll tell you!" was the response he got. He wasn't entirely sure he'd heard right, of course, but he took the challenge, releasing the Noctowl he used for traveling.

"After her," Gold told the owl, hopping onto its back. The bird cawed, spread its wings, and took flight.

There was no way he was going to lose. After all, Gold was, however much he denied it, a sore loser. He urged Noctowl to higher speeds, but Blue still remained ahead, cackling mercilessly.

It was going to be a long night.


	14. Tears

**Prompt: Tears**

**Universe: Games BW**

**Characters: N, White**

**Genre(s): Hurt/Comfort, Romance**

**Rating: K+**

**Word count: 386**

**Okay, I've never supported FerrisWheelShipping. Just totally not my style (can someone please tell me how old N is? Please?). But I figured I should at least give it a shot.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

White had thought someone as special as N always had amazing things. He had an amazing laugh, and an amazing variety of expressions, and an amazing way of expressing himself.

But as she watched him, his tears were not amazing. They slid down his dirt-stained face, leaving a path of cleanliness, dripping off of his chin, drying up on his skin, leaving their salty remains behind. They were not special. They were not different.

He was crying. He was crying tears. Just like everyone else. Not amazing, not different, not special.

Just ordinary.

Ordinary. Just like everyone else. Ordinary tears. Ordinary emotions. Emotions someone as perfect, someone as amazing as N wasn't to show anyone.

And of all people, it was amazing that he showed _her_.

It was amazing. It was simply amazing.

White could not get over how terrible and beautiful it was that N, for all of his amazing qualities, was showing someone insignificant like her these emotions. These amazing emotions.

No.

No. These _ordinary_ emotions.

N, being isolated for so long, being raised like he was different, always thinking he was leading to the Pokemons' salvation. But to be told he was wrong, after all these years?

It was too much.

The perfect N, the amazing N, he crumbled under this revelation. He was ruined. He was broken. He was beaten.

He was _human_.

But it was never too late. Never too late for change. White knew this. N did not.

But perhaps she could teach him.

* * *

She held her hand out to him. He looked up at her, those amazing lime-green eyes searching her own, looking for something, anything, everything, that told him he had heard wrong.

But it was in vain. He knew it was in vain. She knew it was in vain.

"Come with me," she said, quietly, softly, refraining from disturbing the fragile atmosphere. Refraining from crushing his spirit under her heel. "Come with me."

He stared. She stared back, her emotions visible, her spirit open. He could see despair, and pity, and fear, and sadness.

But most of all, hope. He could see hope.

He had thought he had hope. And for a while, he'd thought he'd forgotten it. He's forgotten what it was, what it felt like.

But this small girl, this beautiful, amazing girl, showed him he'd never lost it.

He never had. And he never would.

He took her hand. He stood up. He wrapped his arms around her thin waist as hers went around his neck. His tears dried. His emotions settled. Hope rose in his chest, warm and comforting.

When they began to walk down the halls in what used to be his beautiful, sheltering castle, he didn't look back.

He never would.


	15. Ice types

**Prompt: Ice-types**

**Universe: Manga**

**Characters: Green, Crystal, Silver**

**Genre(s): … Humor?**

**Rating: K**

**Word count: 285**

**Com-PLETE-ly random and short. Yeah… just another of those days.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

"Only thirty-one ice-types?" Silver repeated, silver eyes wide.

Green nodded. "Unova added seven to that list. Plus you can't really count Rotom or Castform, because those Pokemon can change types. So twenty-nine."

"Plus, there's only eleven pure ice-types, but only if you count Castform's ice form," Crystal added, consulting her list. "The rest are secondary."

"Four regions only came up twenty-six ice-type Pokemon in total?" Silver asked. He shook his head. "That's around six per region, so I guess it works out."

"Not really. It's misbalanced. I think it's five from Kanto, plus a few others in Johto – though they have relatively the same Pokemon from Kanto – and then six from Hoenn, some from Sinnoh… I don't know, really. They suddenly popped up in Unova."

"_And_ some of them are legendaries, ones you can't possibly catch," Crystal added. "Like Regice, and Kyurem, and Articuno."

"Ice-types make up 4.78 percent of all Pokemon known to exist," Green told the two. "It's the third rarest type after Ghost- and Dragon-types."

Silver shook his head. "Makes me wonder why all regions have either a Gym Leader of a member of the Elite Four who specialize in them... Lorelei, Pryce, Glacia, Candice and Brycen."

"Well, at least they get attention, for how few of them there is," Crystal pointed out.

"That always seems to happen to those lesser-known types," Green said. "Dragon, for example - Kanto's Champion Lance specializes in them."

"As does Drake from Hoenn, Clair from Johto, and Iris and Drayden from Unova," Crystal reminded them.

"And Agatha from Kanto's Elite Four specializes in Ghost," Silver added.

Green sighed. "Why is it that less common types of Pokemon are always thought to be more special?"


	16. Seasons

**Prompt: Seasons**

**Universe: Gameverse**

**Characters: Wes, Rui**

**Genre(s): uh… I have no idea...**

**Rating: K.**

**Word count: 814... or somewhere around that number...**

**Because I love Wes, who's freaking awesome, and also because he's the coolest protagonist Pokemon has to offer, hands down… I had to write something. And this is what came out. I have no idea how it happened.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

"Do you have seasons in Orre?"

Wes flashed a glance at his companion, who was gazing at him earnestly with those enormous blue eyes of hers. He motioned her to continue, though he needn't have bothered, as she continued to talk anyway.

"I was just wondering and all. I mean, Agate seems to be in constant summer, but the rest of the region…" She tilted her head. "In fact, I've talked to some other people here, and one of them didn't even know what I was talking about when I said the word 'season'."

Wes was momentarily stuck on the fact that she had talked to other people, but considering she was standing next to him, obviously nothing had happened. He shrugged in response.

"Oh, come on, Wes. You've lived here your entire life. You, of all people, should know best."

He shot her a wry look that said _And why is that?_ Fortunately, Rui had become well versed in the few expressions that would flit on his face, and she responded promptly. "Because you ride that motorcycle thing of yours. You'd think you have to watch out for whatever disaster nature throws at you."

Wes bit back a laugh. The only disaster he'd ever had to watch for was sandstorms, and even then, Espeon could create a protective shield around the motorcycle so there was little to worry about.

"So are there seasons?" Rui persisted, poking his shoulder. When he didn't respond right away, she poked him again.

Wes thought back. When he was on the streets, when he was younger, he had indeed noticed some days during a certain time of year the days would be shorter and colder. Sometimes they would be longer, but not hotter, seeing as it was hot everywhere, all the time, in the desert region.

"In a sense," he said at last, one side of his lips quirked into the smallest smile. "But not really."

Rui threw up her hands, the picture of defeat. "Six words! I ask a question, and I keep pressing you to answer, and I get six words in response. You should be able to talk more than that, seeing how quickly you can turn a Pokemon battle in your favor by shouting commands!"

"That's different," he informed her gravely. And it was. Wes understood Pokemon - _his_ Pokemon, at least - while his understanding of people was skewed negatively, him growing up as a street rat. It was only recently, especially in Rui's company, that he had learned people _could_ be kind on their own accord from the goodness in their hearts.

She rolled her eyes but, having learned more than he was, perhaps, comfortable with about her 'knight in shining armor' as the days had progressed, did not press. Instead she asked, "Okay. So you have seasons, in a sense. Which means?"

He shrugged. "It gets colder in the winter."

The look she gave him was one of disbelief. "Colder? In a desert?"

He shrugged again. "I don't question something I can't control."

A logical, practical answer. Two words that described Wes perfectly. Rui opened her mouth, as if to continue, but slowly closed it, deciding it wasn't worth it.

"One day, when you go to another region, you'll see just how different seasons are," she said at last. "For example, snow. Have you seen snow?"

He gave her a baffled look. Duh, he lived in a region notorious for it being desert – did she really think he had? "Yeah, stupid question," she said with a wince. "But… autumn is beautiful, in some places. The leaves on trees change colors."

Again, the baffled look. He lived in a region that was a desert; the only place to find trees was in Agate. Rui sighed in frustration and muttered, "One of these days…"

* * *

"See, _this_ is snow," Rui said, scooping up some of the stuff and holding it out to him.

Wes looked unimpressed, his face maintaining his usual frown. But Rui knew Wes better than that. His golden, hawk-like eyes gleamed with fascination as he held it in a gloved hand. "It's cold," he said, startled. He had never encountered a naturally cold substance before. Besides ice, but that was frozen water – a huge difference.

This... _snow_ was light and fluffy, his feet sinking a few inches into it as he walked. He didn't know whether to be amazed or slightly afraid.

"Duh, because it's snow! Of course it's cold!" Rui laughed and shook her head, twin pigtails bouncing with the motion. "I still can't believe you haven't seen snow before this."

Another dry look, and she struggled not to laugh harder. She poked his shoulder with a grin. "Just wait until summer comes. I've heard this place is marshy."

Marshes – also something he'd never seen. According to what he knew, marshes were wet. All the time. Not as cleanly wet as Phenac City, granted, by definitely wet.

He shook his head, a ghost of a smile on his lips. Seasons. They must be nature's miracles.


	17. Music

**Prompt: Music**

**Universe: Manga**

**Characters: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow  
**

**Genre(s): Hurt/Comfort, Drama-ish, Friendship, Romance... if you squint...  
**

**Rating: K**

**Word count: Somewhere around 3,000...  
**

**If I forgot everything and could remember one thing, I would want to remember how to play the piano.**

**I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

She was at the bottom of a lake, her lake of consciousness. She was drifting aimlessly in the darkest corners of her mind. She didn't want to surface, not right away. It was so peaceful, and quiet, and pleasant. She liked it down there, where she didn't have to worry about anything, not about… not about…

Under the water, at the bottom of her lake, she wondered what she _had_ been worried about. Her mind was curiously blank. But no matter; she was calm and peaceful, and that, at the moment, was all she cared about.

Then someone, something, yelled at her, penetrating her lake's deep waters. "_Blue, can you hear me?_"

Hear? Yes, she could hear, but she didn't want to. She willed herself deeper, grasping for the safety of the sandy bottom. Yes, there we go; she was safe. She wouldn't go up now, and she didn't want to.

"_Blue?_" The next time sound came, the tone was desperate, one that made her involuntarily release her hold. "_Blue, please… Blue?_"

She didn't want to surface, but she felt herself being pulled up and up and up, the brightest blue bubbles trailing, flashes of color – fish? – passing her vision. And when she broke the surface of her lake, her eyes opened and stared at a white ceiling, narrowing her eyes at the unnaturally bright lighting.

Where was she? She didn't remember. It smelled weird in here, sharp and strange, biting at her nose. Her mouth tasted gross, and her tongue felt like it had swelled a hundred times its normal size. And her ears – oh, her ears rang with beeping and hushed murmuring and other noises and – and her hands, they felt numb, she could barely feel the light blanket covering her –

Then the pain hit her.

She choked on a gasp. Oh, how her head hurt, her whole body hurt, why couldn't she dive back down to the bottom of her lake, why, why, why, why –

"Thank God, she's awake. Yellow, Green, she's awake!" Her ears protested and burned with the sound. She forced herself to turn her head, slowly, painfully, at the person sitting next to her. Red eyes. Black hair. Red and white vest, blue jeans. His face had broken into a sunny smile, one that she considered returning.

"Damn, Blue, we thought you were dead or something," another boy said, thumbs hooked in the pockets of his lavender pants. Black shirt, green eyes, spiky brown hair, a concerned look decorating his handsome face despite the flippant tone he used.

She looked at the last person, a girl of small build and delicate features. Blond hair, brown hair, orange shirt, blue pants. She was smiling, her eyes glittering with tears, no words coming from her mouth.

She looked back at the raven-haired boy grinning down at her. She opened her mouth and tried to speak, only to start coughing.

"Are you okay? Someone get some water!" The small girl darted out of the room, returning shortly with a glass of water. She struggled to sit up, the raven-haired boy stuffing pillows behind her back, and managed to hold it despite her shaky hands. She swallowed a few sips, letting the cool liquid soothe her seemingly swollen tongue. She felt better, the water seeping into her very bones and pushing the pain back like a tidal wave. Her coughs faded, and she cleared her throat a few times to rid it of – of – whatever was lodged inside.

The taller brunette sat at the end of her bed, hands still in his pockets, hunched over, looking at her with surprisingly gentle green eyes. The little blonde sat down on the other side, a small smile on her face. She didn't know them, did she? She didn't recognize them, she hadn't seen them before… so why were they here?

She croaked, "Who are you?"

* * *

"You seriously don't remember _anything?_"

The setting: two days since she had woken up, walking in what was, apparently, her favorite park, with, apparently, some of her best friends, the boy Red and the girl Yellow. And apparently, her name was Blue. Blue, she tested it frequently on her tongue, but she didn't think of herself when she said it. All she thought of was the color.

"Nothing. I'm – sorry." She felt guilty. These people obviously liked her. And she couldn't remember a thing about them. She struggled to remember, to remember anything, anything at all, but nothing ever came.

"Do you think she can still play?" the small girl – Yellow, she corrected herself – asked anxiously. The girl fingered her beautiful blond locks with a delicate hand, and she was temporarily mesmerized by the smooth, practiced motion. "If we don't get to that audition…"

"I know," Red said with a sigh. He turned his eyes on her, those startlingly red irises, and she couldn't help it; she shrank back, intimidated, a little afraid, though she quickly banished her fear before either one of the people – either one of her _friends_ noticed. "Listen, Blue. Do you remember that you played – play piano?"

Piano? She played piano? Since when did she play piano? She racked her mind, looking, searching for anything relating to piano, but came up with nothing. Her lack of response was enough, and Red sighed again, this one frustrated. She felt the same way, grinding her teeth and looking away from him.

"Be patient," Yellow said soothingly, placing a hand on the boy's arm. The blonde urged her to look at her with a light touch on the girl's shoulder, gazing at her with a soft smile on her angelic face. "Why don't we see if you can play anything?"

Play? Play the piano? But… she didn't know how to play the piano. Did she? She looked down at her fingers, twitched them a bit, analyzing the nails (bitten down to a stub – apparently, nail-biting was her nervous habit), eyes running over the long and slender digits.

Well, she didn't remember how to play. But maybe these smooth, elegant fingers did.

"Okay."

* * *

The seat was black and polished. So was the piano, a grand old thing, huge and forbidding – but it wasn't that it repelled her. No, those pure white keys, accented with those shiny black ones, drew her in, begging her to touch them, to play them, to make music when them.

But she couldn't obey the call. She fingered a few keys, tried a few melodies suggested by Yellow – and nothing. She couldn't remember how to read the music in front of her; the music notes didn't speak to her, didn't tell her fingers what to do. They sat there, glistening on their worn and crinkled pages, mocking her inability.

"I can't – " She stopped, slamming both hands on the keys in frustration. She saw Yellow flinch at the proceeding sound, and she flinched as well, hating the acrid sound of defeat that echoed through her ears. "I can't – it feels so familiar, but I can't – "

She burst into tears and cried as Yellow and Red led her away.

* * *

"Aren't you going to see her?"

No response.

"Green?" She paused, hesitant. Then she said quietly, "Green, she needs you."

"She doesn't even remember me."

Yellow hesitated again, knowing that he knew that she knew that was the heart of the matter. But she didn't press. Instead, she asked, "Isn't there any music she would know?"

"Why ask me?" His tone was gruff, and it warned her she had only a few more seconds to talk before he walked away.

"You were – you were always closest to her. And – she loved to play duets with you. Please, Green, there must be _something_ she's memorized…"

"She hasn't, trust me."

"Green!" She knew it was useless to try to stop him from leaving, but try she did, calling after him, "Please, come back!"

* * *

The setting: seven days since she had woken up. She wandered the halls. Apparently, it was some sort of studio, a school, if you will, for musicians. So Red had told her. The walls were laden with all sorts of musical references she did not understand, so she supposed he was telling the truth.

She always visited the piano room a few times per day, ever since Yellow and Red had brought her there. She sat down on that shiny bench and she tried, she really did, to play a song, fingers arching into a natural position and effortlessly pressing down on the ivories. She would play anything, anything at all. But it was like she had lost all musical sense. She didn't remember rhythms, or the difference between G and C when she pressed them, or how to read sheet music – nothing. Nothing ever came to her.

After she left, she was always crying. Why? Why couldn't she remember? Her apparent best friends had an audition, and apparently she was supposed to play piano, and apparently it was in only five days, and what was she supposed to do?

Steps were coming near her. She heard them acutely. Yellow told her that her ears were so sharp due to years of apparent music training, none of which she remembered. She looked down, not wanting anyone to see her shame, her sadness. It was hers and hers alone to bear, she was the one letting her group down –

Someone stopped in front of her. She stopped in turn, hands at her side. Still she did not look up.

"Are you going to move or what?"

The voice was irritable; familiar, too. She said sarcastically, "I'm glad to see you, too."

Then she stopped and blinked. Where had that come from? She looked up and saw one of her apparent best friends, Green, looking just as startled as herself.

At last, he asked, stupefied, "Blue, are you – ?"

In response to his question, she shook her head, carefully brushing the remainder of her tears away from her eyes. "I don't know where it come from, either," she confessed, feeling shameful all over again. Why couldn't she remember?

Her eyes flicked away from his face, drifting down his toned shoulders down to the small case he held in his hand. A… violin case? He played violin? Her eyes shifted to the other hand; yes, there was a bow. So he did play violin.

His grip tightened on the case's handle when he saw her examine it. "Are you done with the room?" he asked her frostily, causing her to flinch. She saw his eyes soften at the small movement and wondered just what kind of relationship she had shared with this boy.

"Yes." She moved aside, and he walked past her, opening the door with a practiced flick of his foot. Oh, how familiar the motion was, how elegant it was. Did she used to do it as well?

She continued walking aimlessly. She would return once her friend Green was done with the room.

* * *

She was bored, ashamed, frustrated. There was only so much she could take. Yellow had guided her around the building, pointing out, apparently, her favorite hiding spots. Why would she want hiding spots? It wasn't like she would ever need to hide, would she?

Yellow said that she actually loved tricks and was the heart of mischief in the building. Many of the other students steered clear of her because of that – at least she knew the answer to that question. But she didn't remember any of it, not the hiding places, not the students that passed her that were, apparently, her favorite victims, not even the girl who was showing here around.

Finally, she excused herself, feeling just… so distressed, and angry, that she couldn't recall a thing Yellow said she had loved. She looked at a clock as she passed one. Yes, it was that time of hour again. Always, always, at this time, she had the urge to go to a piano. Not just any piano, though; the piano in the same room she had left Green in. It was, apparently, their practice room, not that she actually remembered using it.

She stopped in front of the door. Voices reached her. Raised, angry ones, the undertone desperate, the tone itself threatening. Both male. She decided they belonged to her apparent best friends, Green and Red. Should she interrupt them? she wondered, leaning on the wall on the left of the door, propping her foot against the wall, the other supporting all of her weight.

She was contemplating this when the door shot open. She stifled a squeak – it almost slammed her face – but fortunately, she managed to stay completely quiet. It swung slowly shut as Red stomped away in the opposite direction, not seeing her. She caught it at the last moment and peeked inside.

Green was sitting on the piano bench, _her_ piano bench, with his case on his lap and his eyes down. She wondered what was wrong, though she decided not to ruin his reputation as a tough guy and pulled back, letting the door close with a soft thud. Then she walked in the direction Red hadn't taken, forcing herself to move away from the room and deciding her excuse for wandering would be she was looking for a bathroom.

* * *

The setting: nine days since she had awoken. She walked to the room, saw someone was inside, and passed right on by. The music the person inside was producing was beautiful, something Yellow said she would've been able to recognize. But now, all she thought was how she wished she could play.

The song stopped, abruptly, followed by a few low mutterings. She backtracked, listened at the door, as the same music began to flow again.

What was this melody she heard – moving and elegant, yet fierce and pulsing? It was slow, lilting, in a minor key. One she knew. She could feel the keys of her piano at her fingers, following along with the music from the violin –

She froze. Her fingers were tapping on her thigh, moving and crossing over like they were on a real piano. She looked down at them in wonder, watching as they neatly criss-crossed her legs. They pressed down lightly, the same amount of pressure she remembered naturally using when at the same keys.

She did remember, didn't she? To play. Maybe she had been so focused on _remembering_ how to place that she forgot she already _knew_ how. She wasn't sure.

She wasted no time and burst into the room, startlingly Green enough that he froze, his bow still poised on his violin. "No, no, keep going," she said breathlessly, slipping quickly onto her bench and squeaking it closer to the ivories. The melody was still at her fingers, but if he waited for too long, it would be gone, it would disappear, and "Play!" she cried, desperate, and he recovered enough to start over.

She joined in on the second line. She almost didn't think, watching, mesmerized by her fingers as they danced across the white and black keys. Each soft press, each note, each dynamic – familiar, imprinting itself into her brain once more, so she would never, ever forget. How could she have forgotten this piece? Impossible, and yet it had happened.

She barely noticed when she and Green finished one song. He started another one, a hopeful gleam in his emerald eyes, and his face broke into a true smile when she joined in almost immediately, though it was quick to fade as he concentrated on playing. She, of course, did not see any of this.

Blue. She was Blue. Why, no, _how_ had she forgotten that? And he was Green, cocky, annoying, adorable Green, how had she forgotten him? And sweet, kind, serene Yellow, and brave, gentle, charismatic Red, the leader of their merry bunch, how had she forgotten them?

What had happened?

All of a sudden, her fingers had a life of their own. When Green stopped, she did not wait for him to continue. She launched right into the most complex sonata she had ever heard, one she _knew_ she had never memorized and yet, and yet, and yet she nailed every note, every rhythm, every dynamic. She was flying.

Minutes passed, though to her, it felt like seconds. It was beautiful, and joyous, and most of all, free. She was free when she played her music. Freedom, oh, how she had missed it, always feeling like she had been caged…

When she played the last note and lifted her hands from the keys, her foot from the pedal, a triumphant smile shone on her face. Green was leaning on the piano, violin limp in his hand, bow resting on his shoulder, his eyes wide with surprise, a ghost of a smile pulling on his lips.

She looked up at him, meeting those achingly familiar green eyes, breathless. "I remember," she said, unnecessarily, blue eyes shining. Oh, yes, she remembered everything – the sessions she had here with Green, playing duets, and with Red's bass and Yellow's cello, the four would play, and…

She paused. Green. Her best friend, no doubt the most annoying boy to walk the planet, who meant more to her than almost anything. And that was the truth. He did mean more to her than anything, except, perhaps music.

For without music, she would be lost, forever wandering the abyss that was the world.

He rested his violin on the piano, placing his bow delicately beside it, and watched her as she ran her fingers over ivory keys. When she looked up again, beaming, the smile on his face was gentle and – and – he looked happy.

She had gotten so used to the signature smirk on her face that she was taken aback. "What's the matter?" she asked, concerned.

His smile widened and he shook his head, his hand reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Her own rose to meet it, and she smiled as she closed her fingers around his. She had missed him, from his overblown ego down to the gentle touch of those very hands.

"Nothing's the matter," he replied, tightening his grip on her fingers. He hesitated, then said softly, "Just… welcome back."


	18. You only live once

**Prompt: You only live once**

**Universe: Manga**

**Characters: Silver, Gold**

**Genre(s): Humor**

**Rating: K.**

**Word count: 109. _Almost_ a drabble.**

**No slash, 'cause I don't like writing slash. Also, this came about when one of my guy friends ran around in Assassin's Creed world, finding all the guards he could and killing any civilians in his way. When I asked him why, he shrugged and said, "Yolo." Which is why this came about.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

"Today, I'm going to climb a tree, have it tip over, and walk down the trunk like nothing happened."

Silver gazed at his friend, silver eyes unreadable. "You do that." He turned to walk away.

The disappointment was clear in Gold's voice when he called, "Aren't you going to watch me?"

Silver stopped and looked over his shoulder. "When you're holding an umbrella in one hand and an ax in the other? No, I think it's better I leave." He flicked his hair over his shoulder and added, "For my own safety, of course. Don't kill yourself."

As the redhead walked away Gold yelled furiously, "You only live once!"


	19. Pancakes

**Prompt: Pancakes**

**Universe: Manga**

**Characters: Pearl, Diamond, Platinum**

**Genre(s): Humor-ish, Friendship**

**Rating: K.**

**Word count: 343 or so.  
**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

Pearl _knows_ how hard it is to teach Missy to do something.

As in, what kind of person spent a day learning how to ride a bicycle, only to go flying down the Cycling Path and end up going up an ice ramp?

Really, everything seemed to go wrong when they tried to teach her _anything._

So he wasn't expecting much good the day Dia decided to teach her how to make pancakes. Why? Because, well, she really liked pancakes. Food she didn't get often at her house, apparently.

Pearl didn't stray far, keeping a good three yards from him and his two friends. Better safe than sorry.

The making of the batter went smoothly. That was fine with Pearl. He was more worried about the actual cooking part. Dia was a skilled teacher, though, so perhaps, it wouldn't be terrible.

Not say it wouldn't be bad. It _would_ be bad.

Just not terrible.

In any case, Pearl watched as the gooey batter dripped into the pan over the flames. Missy's hands were shaking slightly, but she did it well enough, and soon the stuff was being cooked into a nice, fluffy cake. So far, so good.

And then the flipping part.

Turns out Dia forgot the spatula, which boded ill in itself. But as such, they had to turn them by flicking the pan just so. Dia did so with ease. The next time, Missy tried, and somehow, even though Pearl was at least three yards away, it landed on his head, uncooked glory and all.

Things went downhill from there.

The batter was lumpy? Of course. The pancakes were burned? Almost every time. Missy burned her finger? Five of them, in fact – all on the same hand, too. An article of clothing caught fire? Yes, Dia's pant leg, though it was quickly snuffed out.

And then they used salt instead of sugar.

Pearl decided that he would never eat any of Missy's cooking. Ever. Even if it meant insulting her. His health was more important than her pride, no matter what she told him or what she thought.


	20. Pillow fight

**Prompt: Pillow fight**

**Universe: manga**

**Characters: Gold, Silver, Sapphire, Ruby, Crystal, Emerald**

**Genre(s): Humor again, ish**

**Rating: K**

**Word count: 599**

**Yeah, so, let's just say I had a brilliant idea when I was having pillow fight. And then my friend actually ripped the pillow, so feathers went everywhere. And the parental units got angry. Yup. Just another day.  
**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

Gold started it.

Well, maybe he didn't _start_ it, per se, but he definitely approved of it.

It was actually Sapphire's idea.

But Gold still started it.

It was only coincidence all of the Johto Dexholders and Hoenn Dexholders happened to be crashing in the same place outside, all snug in their sleeping bags and looking forward to a full night of rest. That was how some of them, the most naïve ones, that is, looked at it. But Silver and Crystal knew better and had braced themselves for the worst.

When Sapphire had suggested it, sleepily, without thinking, they had both tensed and prepared to make a dash for it. But nothing happened, even as the minutes ticked by, and after an hour they assumed it was safe and allowed themselves to relax.

Slightly.

It was only a nag at first – a voice in the middle of the night, clamoring that they have a pillow fight. Nothing serious. Then it was insistence. And then threats to whack his neighbor's face, which happened to be Ruby. The junior had stupidly put faith in Gold, something he was going to regret later.

Gold missed the first time he blindly whacked the spot where Ruby was, though he had not accounted for the boy rolling over. So he struggled out of his sleeping bag until he was sitting up, saw Silver, and threw his pillow at his face. The boy had been an avid pool player all of his young life, so despite his erratic behavior, his aim was excellent and did not miss its mark.

Of course, when Silver's eyes snapped open, he knew exactly who the culprit was. His eyes settled on Gold's face, metallic eyes flashing. Gold chuckled nervously, scooting out of his sleeping bag and assuming a defensive position. Granted, he was kneeling, but with his hands at the ready, his face would no doubt be protected.

Then Silver's eyes flicked behind him, and Gold knew he had made a mistake when he flashed a quick glance at Crystal's sleeping bag. Empty. They had set him up.

The force of the pillow hitting the back of his head was enough to drive it down into Ruby's stomach, and even with the sleeping bag there to cushion it, it was obviously extremely painful as he woke with a very high-pitched yelp.

Which, of course, woke his neighbor, Emerald, who promptly bopped his head for disturbing his sleep.

Which, of course, woke _his_ neighbor, Sapphire, who promptly swatted Emerald's shoulder for disturbing _her_ sleep.

And then Gold grabbed the closest pillow available, Ruby's, and threw it at her head. She ducked, caught it in midair, and threw it back, grinning when it hit the senior's face with a solid thunk.

Then Emerald threw his own pillow at her, and it being point-blank, she couldn't dodge. She quickly threw it back, missed, and hit Ruby, who had sat up and was putting his glasses on.

The glasses when flying, and Ruby went after them with surprisingly speed. And then Silver missed Gold and nailed the junior again, this time in the back. Crystal picked up the errant pillow and chased Gold, getting close enough to whack him, _hard_, with it.

Gold had never known pillows could be so painful. Then again, Crystal was strong, as he knew firsthand.

Slowly, the random throwings ceased, and everyone set their sights on Gold, chasing him around with pillows that were losing their fluff. Gold ran away from them, cackling despite the situation.

Needless to say, none of them got much sleep that night.


	21. We were the first

**Prompt: We were the first**

**Universe: games Red, Green, Blue, Yellow**

**Characters: Red, Gary, Leaf (none are specified)**

**Genre(s): Oh jeez… I have no idea.**

**Rating: K.**

**Word count:**

**Yeah, so, dramatic. Something like that. Poems, sort of, all looped together in some awkward piece I'm calling fanfiction. Yup. Just another one of those times.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

We were the first.

We were the first to start the journey. We were the first to take on the task of filling the Pokedex. We were the first to choose our partners, the first to train our partners, the first to travel with our partners.

We were the first.

We were the first to face Rocket head on. We were the first to beat them down. We were the first to crush them to bits, to destroy what they left, to make them pay for what they've done.

We were the first.

We were the first to realize it's not the sky that's the limit, it's the universe. We were the first to realize anything is possible. We were the first to aim as high as we could, to reach for the stars, to actually fulfilling our dreams.

We were the first.

We were the first to walk the regions. We were the first to become strong. We were the first to stand in what was right, to never back down, to never let fear stop us.

_We were the first._

* * *

We were the first, us three,

The first to come and the first to go.

What we have accomplished will never be forgotten,

Though our names may fade and our appearances may change.

But our legend and our legacy continue to live,

Placed on the shoulders of the many after us.

* * *

Our past is behind us. Our future is certain.

_May our stories go on._


	22. Leaf pile

**Prompt: Leaf pile**

**Universe: manga, PokeSpe**

**Characters: All**

**Genre(s): Humor, Comedy, Friendship**

**Rating: K.**

**Word count: 1357**

**Mwa ha ha ha ha ha. After a long absence I am here with what is probably utter crap! Just what you all wanted! Though I had fun writing this, actually… And it's a fall theme so it's good! Right? *****shot for not writing a Halloween themed thing***

**Currently working on the Barry and Silver thing, so be patient ;) Also that Ranger one is gonna go down eventually, so keep your eyes peeled :D**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

"_Please _tell me that's not what I think it is."

Ruby looked up and cast his brunet senior a scarlet-eyed look of despair. "Senior Green, it is exactly what it looks like. It is – " here the younger boy paused for dramatic effect – "a leaf pile."

Silver irritably brushed a stray leaf off of his knee while he snarled, "A monstrosity of a leaf pile, you mean."

Green looked up and arched an eyebrow. "It _is_ abnormally large, I'll give you that." He looked around; only Ruby, Silver and Crystal were visible. "Where are the others?"

Crystal snorted, eyes not leaving the multi-colored mountain of leaves in front of her. "Where d'you think?" She jerked her chin at the offending pile. "In _there_, doing who-knows-what."

As she said this Blue suddenly popped out, hat miraculously on her head and leaves tangled into her hair – which was in a complete state of disarray. She stuck a hand out and waved wildly, a huge grin on her face. "C'mon, you guys! It's _fun_!"

"I'll pass," Silver, Ruby and Crystal said in a droning monotone, and Green shook his head. If only they could be that organized when they were trying to do something serious.

Blue shrugged and called, "Suit yourself" before burrowing back into the depths of the pile. All that showed she had been there was a slight raised bump of leaves.

"So how did they do – this, exactly?" Green asked after a moment. This was precisely why he should get to these get-togethers earlier…

"There was a forest," Ruby began, and then fell silent. Green waited, but there wasn't any other explanation offered. Shrugging, he sat down next to his juniors, preparing to wait out the entirety of this entire venture.

Sapphire's head popped out at the top and she crowed, "King of th'Hill! Take _that_, ya losers!"

Almost immediately, all three Sinnoh Dexholders appeared at the side of the mountain, near the top, looking up at the girl above. Green was surprised Platina was there; she looked very uncomfortable at the moment, but when Pearl yelled something along the lines of "Not for long!" she smiled and dutifully followed her blond friend as he dove back in. Dia was right behind her.

Yellow then crawled out of the pile, shaking her head and running her fingers through her blond hair as she stood up with a sigh. Crystal tossed something to her and the smaller girl caught it with relative ease; it was her straw hat. "Green," she said with a nod, settling herself next to him with her hat on her lap. "You missed the exciting parts, I think."

"Should I be glad I did?" he asked as he helped her pick the leaves out of her hair. There were so many small bits here and there that Ruby joined in, combing his more sensitive fingers through the yellow strands.

He could hear the smile in her voice. "Yes, I suppose you should be." In a low voice she murmured, "It's a good thing Red isn't here. He'd flip over this kind of thing."

"I suppose you'd know," Ruby butted in with a knowing smirk. Green couldn't stop his laughter when he saw her blush, while Crystal chuckled and even Silver cracked a small smile.

"It's not like that," she protested with embarrassment. "It's just – he really likes the fall, you know, and I – I always just assumed – "

"We know what you mean, Yellow, we're just teasing," Crystal said with a smile at her shorter senior. Yellow stammered out something intelligible and Crystal giggled. Ruby, satisfied with his work, expertly tied Yellow's hair into a ponytail and sat back, eyes on the girl still sitting/floating/whatever at the top of the pile.

As they watched a mechanical arm reached up behind the girl, and then it slammed down on her head, forcing her down below the leaves. "Emerald strikes again," Silver said with a snicker at the muffled shriek ensuing.

As if on the cue, the boy popped up, opened his mouth to speak – and was pulled back down, disappearing below the pile. "I wonder how you move in there," Green wondered aloud, though he wasn't eager by any means to find out himself.

"It's hard," Yellow said. "Kind of like swimming, except that doesn't really work. It's a miracle Sapphire managed to stay floating, so-to-speak, up there for so long. Emerald has so much gear he was probably pulled down by gravity."

Silver grunted. "I don't see what all the fuss is about. It's just a leaf pile."

"Leaf piles are pretty magical when you're younger," Yellow pointed out. She shrunk back under the fierce, metallic glare he gave her. "Sorry, but – I mean, if you'd grown up in a house with parents and stuff, you'd get what I mean, and – I'm now saying this very well, am I?"

"Don't glare at her, Silver, she's just trying to explain," Crystal snapped, and Silver scowled but looked away, muttering something that vaguely resembled an apology under his breath.

"Is everyone here?" Green asked after a moment in an effort to break the awkward silence. "I haven't seen Gold or Red. Or any of the Unovians, for that matter."

"Gold and Red aren't here yet, as far as I know," Ruby said. "Not sure about the Unovians, though."

"They've got some new Dexholders over there," Silver added. "The older ones are helping the newer ones around, I guess."

Ruby frowned and said thoughtfully, "White did say something about a Rosa and a Nate sometime ago."

The conversation became more amiable as they caught up on the others' lives. Occasional yells and whoops were heard from the monster pile, but eventually everyone scrambled out, faces flushed and leaves all over their bodies. Ruby darted over to Sapphire and picked the leaves off of her despite her protests as soon as she came out.

Blue flopped down to Green, a huge grin on her face. "We have to do this again sometimes," she said, shooting him a sly look and saying pointedly, "Maybe when you actually come on time."

"I was busy," he protested, then realized she was laughing. "Shut up," he grumbled, and she bumped her shoulder against his.

"So Senior Red and Senior Gold are still not here?" Platina asked, picking the leaves out of her clothes and hat. Pearl and Dia were busy trying to pick the stuff out of their scarves.

"Doesn't look like it," Emerald said with a nod, shaking out his mechanical arms. "Too bad, they missed out."

Green wasn't so sure. If they came, and they saw this pile, he was fairly sure chaos would ensue. He didn't consider himself superstitious, but even so, he stood up and walked over to a solid oak, rapping his knuckles smartly against the bark.

As soon as he did this he heard someone say, in a reverent tone, "Holy _Arceus_."

"Oh, hey, Gold!" Blue said as Green turned. "You seen Red?"

Gold's bag had dropped from lifeless fingers, and his metallic eyes were firmly focused on the leaves in front of him. "Holy Arceus," he repeated, stepping forward in what could only be described as a daze. "Holy motherf – "

"_Language_," Crystal scolded severely, and while Gold fell silent he did not snap out of his trance.

Then someone yelled, "_Oh my Arceus, it's a leaf pile!_"

A blur of red went by, and then leaves were sprayed everywhere and on everyone. With a collective groan everyone set about to picking more leaves out of their clothes.

"Wait for me!" Gold yelled and dove in after his senior.

Blue was suddenly up and looped her arm through Green's, physically dragging him to the pile. He struggled madly to free himself but she held fast. "Arceus, Blue, let me _go_," was the last anyone heard before she threw him in and then dove in herself.

Everyone exchanged glances. Then Sapphire grinned. "Again!" she cried, running forward and lunging in. The Sinnoh natives were quick to follow, leaving Yellow, Crystal, Silver, and Ruby to stare after them.

Then, with a shrug, Silver turned to Ruby. "Cards?"


End file.
